ED Now

The Economic Recovery Corps page is now live on IEDC’s website. IEDC and partners will receive $30 million from EDA over four-and-a-half years to create the Economic Recovery Corps—65 fellows who will be embedded in distressed regions throughout the United States to help lead efforts to increase the capacity of regional economic development ecosystems and provide guidance to support local economic developers. The ERC program will help communities accelerate their economic recovery, develop and deliver effective regional strategies to promote resilience and competitiveness, and create sustainable and equitable opportunities for all. Prospective fellows and host organizations should fill out the Economic Recovery Corps Interest ...

Greater Seattle has experienced unprecedented and continuous economic gains since the 1990s. Global companies like Microsoft have risen to prominence and further diversified the regional economy from a historical reliance on Boeing and aerospace. Legendary companies such as Alaska Airlines, Amazon, Costco, and Starbucks have also come to call Greater Seattle home. Before the pandemic, the region ranked number one in annual GDP growth among large U.S. metropolitan areas. The Brookings Institute referred to Greater Seattle as one of five superstar regions and a top innovation hub. But like many fast-growing economies, the economic headlines hid challenges across the region. Shortage of good jobs A 3 percent unemployment rate pre-Covid ...

As part of IEDC’s Take Action Against Racism in Economic Development series, the COVID-19 Equitable Economic Recovery for Cities, Local Governments, and Municipalities webinar explored why a focus on equitable recovery is so important, and how to take meaningful action. Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, executive director of LISC Los Angeles, led the discussion by exploring the three P’s set out by their Equitable Economic Recovery Toolkit, designed to “provide local cities and municipalities with tangible steps to ensure that their COVID-19 recovery is as equitable as possible.” The first of these three P’s is Place. Prior to the pandemic, an important way small businesses attracted customers was through their physical ...