Research Report Footloose or Stuck in Place? Firm Mobility across Six Metropolitan Areas
Brett Theodos, Aravind Boddupalli, Megan Randall
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Firm migration is seen as a barometer of business climate and economic health. State and local governments feel the pressure to retain and attract jobs, often by competing using economic development packages. To better understand local employment changes, and the prevalence of job migration, we conducted a study of six metropolitan areas using establishment-level information from National Establishment Time Series (NETS) data for a twenty-year study period through 2012. Migration of establishments constitutes a fairly minimal share of total job gain or loss, suggesting that public resources may be better spent on larger contributors to local employment gains.

Research Areas Economic mobility and inequality Education Wealth and financial well-being Neighborhoods, cities, and metros Workforce State and local finance
Tags Workforce development Employment and income data Labor force Mobility Community and economic development Small businesses
Policy Centers Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center