Learn more about the nation's current economic development challenges with the Economic Development podcast series. Through interviews with experts, listeners will be engaged in understanding the problems and the solutions. Podcasts cover innovative postrecessionary economic development strategies, emerging trends in job creation and workforce development, small business trends, and health care issues as they relate to economic development.
Podcasts are free to use but are subject to our legal notices.
Working Solo: Trends in the Growing Self-Employment Sector
October 2012
Stephan Goetz, director of the Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, discusses his recent research on the growing impact of self-employment as an economic development strategy. He also describes the types of local programs and policies that can support this sector.
Play (MP3 9:38)
Transcript
Generating Jobs in Challenging Times: A Texas-Sized Story
August 2012
How can a city create an attractive business climate and leverage its unique assets to gain and retain jobs? The Greater Houston Partnership's Craig Richard discusses an approach that has worked in his city to propel significant job growth despite the weak national recovery.
Play (MP3 8:19)Transcript
From Textiles to Turnaround: A Tale of Two Cities
July 2012
Many cities have experienced the contraction of a once-dominant industry. The Richmond Fed's Kim Zeuli examines two North Carolina cities—Concord and Eden—that lost their textile employment base and learned to adapt to changing conditions.
Play (MP3 11:25)Transcript
Power in Partnerships: Addressing Workforce Development Challenges
June 2012
Workforce development issues require collaboration across sectors and geography. Damian Thorman, national program director at the John L. and James S. Knight Foundation, discusses the importance of public, private, and philanthropic partnerships in addressing local and regional workforce challenges.
Play (MP3 9:59)Transcript
Closing the Gap: Improving Minority-Owned Small Firms' Access to Credit
May 2012
Small minority businesses typically pay higher interest rates and receive smaller loans than nonminority-owned firms of similar age and size. Tim Bates, professor of economics at Wayne State University, explores ideas to increase access to capital so minority companies can create jobs and expand.
Play (MP3 12:58)Transcript
Can the Jobs Gap Be Filled through Temporary Public-sector Positions?
March 2012
Philip Harvey, professor of law and economics at Rutgers University, discusses how his proposed direct job creation program would create temporary public-sector jobs, and in the process, help reduce unemployment.
Play (MP3 8:46)Transcript
Tax Relief? An Innovative Proposal to Nurture New Entrepreneurs
February 2012
Bob Friedman of the Corporation for Enterprise Development discusses how federal tax preparation assistance for new businesses and the self-employed could facilitate job creation.
Play (MP3 8:41)Transcript
Trash to Treasure: Turning Waste into Jobs
January 2012
Instead of sending waste to landfills, a municipal approach that prioritizes the reuse, recycling, and remanufacture of materials can provide a range of new jobs. Georgia Tech's Nancey Green Leigh discusses how to create jobs from the waste diversion process.
Play (MP3 10:24)Transcript
Retrofitting Institutions: Feeding Job Growth with Energy Hogs
January 2012
Satya Rhodes-Conway and James Irwin, senior associates at the Center on Wisconsin Strategy, discuss how retrofitting public and institutional buildings spurs job creation in the real estate sector while reducing building operating costs.
Play (MP3 13:59)Transcript
Regional Innovation: When the Sum Is Greater than the Parts
December 2011
Economic development practitioners can foster strategic collaboration among regional concentrations of firms and industries to support job growth and investment in their communities. John Fernandez, the U.S. assistant secretary of commerce for economic development, discusses how to develop and maximize the effectiveness of regional economic development strategies.
Play (MP3 13:03)Transcript
The Doctor Is In: Economic Development Strategies in Health Care
December 2011
The health care sector has been an important source of new jobs in this economy. Dr. Ricardo Azziz, president of Georgia Health Sciences University, discusses the importance of the sector to the economic well-being of communities and how its growth can help catalyze economic development.
Play (MP3 10:39)Transcript
Social Networks' Role in Rebuilding Communities
August 2011
In a podcast, Atlanta Fed staffers Ann Carpenter and Nancy Montoya discuss the chapter they coauthored in the new book Resilience and Opportunity: Lessons from the U.S. Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita. Their discussion explores the role of social networks in rebuilding communities.
Play (MP3 21:54)Transcript
Should CDFIs Join Your Job-Creation Team?
August 2011
CDFIs (community development financial institutions) are playing a growing and evolving role in job creation across the country. Donna Gambrell, director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's CDFI Fund, discusses CDFIs and how they contribute to economic development in this second half of a two-part podcast.
Play (MP3 10:12)Transcript
Giving Credit Where It Is Due: CDFIs in LMI Communities
August 2011
Donna Gambrell, director of the U.S. Department of the Treasury's CDFI Fund, describes how community development financial institutions differ from other financial institutions and discusses their impact on low- and moderate-income (LMI) communities in this first half of a two-part podcast.
Play (MP3 7:43)Transcript
View from the Top: New Perspectives on Familiar Concepts in Economic Development
June 2011
Job creation and retention are top priorities for most communities across the nation and around the world. Jeff Finkle, president and CEO of the world's largest economic development membership organization, discusses how successful economic developers adapt to current issues, including the economic downturn, regionalism, and globalization.
Play (MP3 9:47)Transcript
New Economy, New Roles: Economic Development Organizations and Jobs
May 2011
Economic development organizations must develop and execute job creation programs in today's difficult economy, even as their budgets are reduced. Denny Coleman, president and CEO of the St. Louis County Economic Council, discusses how local organizations can still add to the quantity and quality of local jobs.
Play (MP3 11:57)Transcript
Not Your Father's Factory Job: Manufacturing and Economic Development
May 2011
Jay Moon, president and CEO of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association, discusses the increasingly technical and specialized skills needed to support advanced manufacturing. These skills, he says, are creating a greater focus on working with business, industry, and educational partners to develop a better skilled workforce.
Play (MP3 11:56)Transcript
Small Things Really Matter: The Important Role of Microenterprise in Job Creation
April 2011
Microenterprises, which employ about 20 percent of the U.S. private-sector workforce, have been especially important since the recent recession. Connie Evans, president and CEO of the Association for Enterprise Opportunity, discusses how economic developers can grow local jobs by supporting microenterprises.
Play (MP3 13:16)Transcript
The Job Hunt: New Clues for Small Business Job Creation
April 2011
Newly available data provide fresh insights into employment in the small business sector. Brian Headd, economist in the Small Business Administration's Office of Advocacy, explores the changing relationship of small business to jobs.
Play (MP3 7:45)Transcript
Healthy Workforce=Competitive Advantage
March 2011
Today, more companies consider the health of the local workforce when deciding where to locate or expand a business. Dr. Rhonda Medows, chief medical officer and executive vice president for UnitedHealth Group's public sector programs, discusses job trends and how economic developers can improve their communities' competitive advantage by improving the health of the workforce.
Play (MP3 9:37)Transcript
Ready to Work? The Long Term Impact of Child Health on Economic Development
February 2011
Chronic illnesses, including diabetes and high blood pressure, contribute to worker absenteeism, decreased productivity, and increased insurance costs to employers. Greater focus is being placed on preventive health care, including a closer look at children's health. Dr. Jay Berkelhamer, past president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, discusses trends in child health and their implications for workforce development.
Play (MP3 10:15)Transcript
The Intersection of Medical Training and Economic Development
February 2011
A critical shortage in medical professionals, especially in rural and low-income areas, is a challenge facing medical colleges. Dr. Wayne J. Riley, president and CEO of Meharry Medical College, discusses the future of medical training and its implications for economic development.
Play (MP3 8:09)Transcript
Who Will Treat the Sick? Emerging Trends in the Hospital Based Workforce
January 2011
Hospitals and their satellite operations are facing human capital frictions as the public demands the latest treatments in the most upgraded facilities and as they prepare to respond to new legislation. Dr. Stephen Newman, chief operating officer with Tenet Healthcare Corp., discusses these workforce challenges and opportunities.
Play (MP3 7:39)Transcript
Healthy Businesses, Healthy Communities: Identifying and Responding to Local Small Business Challenges
December 2010
Small businesses are recognized as job creation engines as well as contributors to the economic vibrancy of the neighborhoods where they are located. Dr. Lisa Servon, former dean of Milano the New School for Management and Urban Policy, discusses the effects of the economic downturn on small businesses and local communities and approaches to promoting economic development in a time of major financial constraints and challenges.
Play (MP3 9:14)Transcript
Fact or Fallacy: Can Self Employment Improve Economic Opportunities for Low Skilled Workers?
December 2010
For some low-skilled workers, self-employment appears to be the best opportunity to improve their earnings, but is it? Dr. Magnus Lofstrom, research fellow with the Public Policy Institute of California, discusses whether self-employment improves the earning power of low-skilled workers as well as economic development policies that local and state governments could consider to help this vulnerable population.
Play (MP3 9:11)Transcript
Bridging the Gap: Overcoming Minority Small Business Performance Disparities
December 2010
Minority-owned small businesses make significant contributions to the U.S. economy, but there are still distinct disparities in business performance between minority-owned firms and nonminority-owned firms. Dr. Robert Fairlie, professor of applied economics and finance at the University of California Santa Cruz, discusses how minority-owned small businesses have fared in difficult economic conditions and policy options to address these challenges.
Play (MP3 7:56)Transcript
The Role of Technical and Vocational Schools in Easing Job Skills Mismatch
November 2010
Technical and vocational schools are well positioned to provide practical training that meets the needs of local employers. James King, vice chancellor for the Tennessee Technology Centers, discusses how these schools can partner with employers and position their graduates to thrive in today's emerging job sectors.
Play (MP3 12:35)Transcript
On the Rebound: How Resurgent Cities Generate Jobs and Investment
November 2010
Older cities once focused on manufacturing have faced declining fortunes for some time. Even with the economic recession adding new pressures to economic development strategies, some of these cities have managed to reinvent themselves into vibrant job centers. Dr. Yolanda Kodrzycki of the New England Policy Center at the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston discusses the lessons these resurgent cities have for other communities.
Play (MP3 11:13)Transcript
Three in One: Growing Jobs, Developing a Workforce, and Stabilizing Neighborhoods -
September 2010
Current economic conditions have inspired practitioners and policymakers to think more deliberately about the overlap between economic and community development. The combination of fewer local businesses, fewer jobs for residents, and increased foreclosure rates has hastened holistic, neighborhood-based approaches. Tony Cipollone, vice president for Civic Sites and Initiatives of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, discusses how neighborhood-based economic and community development projects are working to create more vital and vibrant neighborhoods.
Play (MP3 13:32)Transcript
Getting to Work: Community and Vocational Colleges Explore New Paradigms for Workforce Development
September 2010
Community, technical, and vocational colleges play an important role in preparing the workforce for the immediate labor demands of local employers and promoting full employment in their service regions. However, current economic conditions have challenged traditional models, prompting revised and sometimes new approaches. Dr. Rolando Montoya, provost at Miami Dade College, the nation's largest nonprofit institution of higher learning, discusses how a community college can nimbly adjust its curriculum to respond to the fast-changing workforce needs of local businesses and strengthen local economic development.
Play (MP3 14:26)Transcript
Jobs That Matter Most: Driving Economic Growth in New Orleans's Post Katrina Economy
August 2010
Like many cities that have heavily depended on a few key industries, employment and workforce development have long been a challenge for New Orleans. But the economic and natural disasters of the past five years only exacerbated the situation. As New Orleans continues to rebound from Hurricane Katrina, job growth and a more resilient economy will depend on simultaneously leveraging historic industry assets while growing new ones. Dr. Allison Plyer, co-deputy director at the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, discusses the vital role of New Orleans's export industries from her recent report, Jobs that Matter Most: Regional Export Industries in the New Orleans Area.
Play (MP3 11:45)Transcript
Counting on Quality Jobs: Transforming the Economic Development Landscape
August 2010
Creating quality jobs and rebuilding the middle class in a global, knowledge-driven economy requires new strategies, new partners, new goals, and new metrics of success. The role of economic developers has expanded to include everything from technology transfer to attracting retail that will expand a community's tax base. Putting this all together in an economic development strategy can be challenging. Dr. Shari Garmise, vice president for Knowledge Management and Development for the International Economic Development Council, discusses the findings and case studies compiled in the recent report "Creating Quality Jobs."
Play (MP3 13:18)Transcript
Revitalizing Urban Industrial Sectors: A Roadmap for Diversifying the Economic Base
July 2010
Creating a broad range of high-quality jobs in the urban core is a daunting economic development challenge, that is only exacerbated by the current economic climate. Using Atlanta as an example, Dr. Nancey Green Leigh, professor of city and regional planning at the Georgia Institute of Technology, discusses a roadmap for protecting and energizing an industrial sector as a viable source of job growth and economic investment.
Play (MP3 10:27)Transcript
Sweet Charity: Foundations as a Source for Community and Economic Development
March 2010
The overlap between economic development and philanthropy is growing. While we most often think of foundations as being involved in community development, they play increasingly more important roles in economic development. Douglas W. Nelson, retired president and CEO of the Annie E. Casey Foundation, talks about how foundations can support economic development as sources of flexible capital and data-driven policy advocacy.
Play (MP3 15:17)Transcript
Banking on Economic Development: Financial Institutions and Economic Development—A Changing Paradigm
February 2010
The importance of financial institutions in economic development efforts has varied by region. As communities struggle with funding economic development efforts, some are re-engaging banks in new ways. Indeed, the financial crisis has re-framed the banking sector's models of economic development deals. Bill Best, senior vice president for Community Development at PNC Bank and chair for the International Economic Development Council, discusses the key role banks play in community and economic development efforts during a time of recovery.
Play (MP3 8:39)Transcript
Resources Matter: Protecting the Environment While Growing the Local Economy
February 2010
Economic growth and the preservation of natural resources are increasingly interdependent. Chris Clark, commissioner of Georgia's Department of Natural Resources, discusses the very real and important connections among economic development, community development, and the sustainable use of natural resources, an interdependence that leads to productive industries and thriving communities.
Play (MP3 14:31)Transcript
A Brand New World: Why Sustainability Matters in Modern Economic Development
January 2010
Increasingly, communities are approaching economic development efforts within a sustainability context. Federal funding support has also shifted toward projects and programs that emphasize sustainability concepts. Edward Blakely, professor of Urban Policy at the University of Sydney, Australia, discusses how the economic crisis has transformed how we think about economic development finance and how communities can craft their economic destinies within the global economy.
Play (MP3 9:02)Transcript
Closing the Deal: Effective Incentives during Fiscal Challenges
January 2010
The financial climate has limited the availability and effectiveness of traditional economic development tools. States and counties are challenged to identify innovative strategies to promote economic growth and employment. Reagan Farr, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Revenue, discusses how Tennessee has adapted its incentive policies to attract investment and grow jobs in the midst of the nation's worst recession in decades.
Play (MP3 8:35)Transcript
