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Market-Based Solutions to Vital Economic Issues

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Market-Based Solutions to Vital Economic Issues

About the American Growth Project

Cities, towns and rural communities: These are the places we call home. When their economies thrive, we thrive. And when we thrive, the nation thrives. The fact is that the cities and towns we call home drive America’s GDP. The 150 largest localized markets account for nearly 90% of the U.S. economy. And yet each local economy has its own mix of industries and demographics that determines the strength of its economic engine. El Paso’s recipe for growth and stability looks nothing like New York City’s. 

The Kenan Institute of Private Enterprise created the American Growth Project to examine the indicators driving the wellbeing of all the country’s economies. Understanding the unique combination that makes each of them succeed is vital to unlocking their full potential for workers, businesses, communities and the nation.

Our Team

The American Growth Project is driven by the economists, writers, analysts and staff of the Kenan Institute

Data and Modeling

The American Growth Project is distinct from other analytical endeavors in its microeconomic focus and its broad scope. Our data come from government and academic sources that cover county, metropolitan statistical area, state and U.S. measures including GDP, employment and housing permits. We have defined 150 Extended Metropolitan Areas comprising multiple counties in economically linked geographic areas, and we feed underlying EMA data into our employment and GDP growth models.

Our employment model forecasts job growth for each EMA using data on its industry employment as well as local and national economic and financial conditions. Our GDP model incorporates the employment forecast and other EMA, state and U.S. measures to produce a projection for the next year.