Are PAs Economic Development Programs Working?
Pennsylvania spends hundreds of millions of dollars on programs and resources every year to stimulate economic development and sustain the well being of the state’s citizens. But are these programs working, and more specifically, are they working in rural Pennsylvania? These questions served as the rationale for a recently completed research project, funded by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania and conducted by researchers from East Stroudsburg University, which examined the economic development programs administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) from 1987 through 1999. The research looked at how effective these programs are in generating income, employment and business growth. The programs studied are listed below. Overview of results The research shows that a number of funding sources, or programs, have consistently emerged as highly effective. For this project, effectiveness was defined as a positive change in per capita income, employment and/o
