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Mom-and-pop meet big-box: Complements or substitutes?

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Since the mid-1970s, chain retailers have grown significantly in the United States, and now account for a substantial share of retail sales and employment in the retail sector. This rise has raised concerns about the stores’ impact on smaller, family-owned retailers. The advancement of chain retailers is said to have caused the closing of smaller establishments, the decline in downtown retail districts and increased unemployment.

What really determines whether a manufacturing firm locates and remains in California

Source: JournalistsResource.org

Manufacturing plays a big role in California’s economy. About 10% of residents are employed in manufacturing, which generates $150 billion in value, and the jobs pay well: In 2004 the average income earned in manufacturing was $57,000, 54% more than the state’s median income.

Research Supplemental Poverty Measure, 2010: Consumer income

Source: JournalistsResource.org

How the United States government measures levels of poverty has changed little since the bureaucracy began making official estimates in the 1960s. Many observers have noted that the official statistical model has not kept up with the times: for example, it does not take fully into account rising medical costs, and it uses a multiplier of food costs as an index by which to set the official poverty income line for households. (Food costs have shrunk historically as part of the family budget.)

Cultural attractions, human capital and economic growth

Source: JournalistsResource.org

The number of well-educated residents that areas draw can have a bearing on economic vitality, and yet local and regional planners must consider how far they should go in appealing to residents who will bring such “human capital.” One outstanding question remains precisely how cultural amenities such as museums and theaters translate into value beyond aesthetic enjoyment.