1. Advancing our Strategic Priorities Together
ECONOMIC GROWTH AND COMMUNITY INVESTMENT SERVICE TEAM
Presented to the WORKFORCE INNOVATION BOARD
Advancing our Strategic Priorities Together
December 1, 2016

2. Vision: A vibrant community where all are valued and thrive.
Ramsey County Vision, Mission and Goals
Vision: A vibrant community where all are valued and thrive.
Mission: A county of excellence working with you to enhance our quality of life.
Goals

3. A Residents-First Approach
2016 Strategic Plan
A Residents-First Approach

4. Residents working in Ramsey County
Expected to grow to 393,070 by 2040
327,146
Jobs in Ramsey County
278,389
Resident employment
149,863
Residents working in Ramsey County
Residents work all over the region
How many new jobs in Ramsey County will be for residents?

5. FORCES SHAPING THE LOCAL ECONOMY PRIORITIES IN THE 2016 STRATEGIC PLAN
GLOBALIZATION
TALENT ATTRACTION, RETENTION, AND PROMOTION
TECHNOLOGY
DEVELOP AN ONLINE RESOURCE OF OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE DATA
ENERGY PRICES
DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT INVESTING FRAMEWORK
DEMOGRAPHY
INCLUSIVE, EFFECTIVE AND MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

6. TALENT ATTRACTION, RETENTION, AND PROMOTION
Economic Growth and Community Investment
GLOBALIZATION
TALENT ATTRACTION, RETENTION, AND PROMOTION
25 TO 34 YEAR OLDS ( )
For decades jobs in the goods-producing sectors of the economy have been on the decline while service-providing jobs have seen steady increases.
Ramsey County alone experienced a 47% decline in goods-producing employment between 1990 and 2015; and a 19% increase in service-providing employment over the same period.
Growth potential for small-scale manufacturing, repurposing of commercial/industrial space and leveraging efficiencies in the “share” economy is essential for future development.
7,785
25 to 34 year olds
MOVED TO RAMSEY COUNTY FROM ABROAD
Source: American Community Survey 5-yr estimates 6

7. DEVELOP AN ONLINE RESOURCE OF OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE DATA
Economic Growth and Community Investment
DEVELOP AN ONLINE RESOURCE OF
OPEN AND ACCESSIBLE DATA
TECHNOLOGY
According to a Pew Research study, in 1990, 42% of U.S. adults said they used a computer at their workplace, at school, at home, or anywhere else, even if only occasionally.
Now, eight in ten U.S. adults (81%) say they use laptop and desktop computers somewhere in their lives.
Ramsey County has adopted innovative tools and technology in order to increase transparency and accountability, foster informed public discourse and to support economic development.
One example is the online publication of the Ramsey County Community Indicators – a set of sixteen goal-aligned measures designed to benchmark and explore community progress.
Information is power. By proactively publishing public data in forms that readily lend themselves to use and reuse, Ramsey County is promoting better fits between employers, talent, and our community partners. 7

8. A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT INVESTING FRAMEWORK
Economic Growth and Community Investment
ENERGY PRICES
Minnesota ranks 18th out of 51 for the average retail price for electricity at $ cents per kilowatt hour.
Minnesota ranks 42nd out of 51 for the average retail price of natural gas at $13.38 per thousand cubic feet.
Energy prices are generally less predictable than most other costs of living.
12 Mega watt Solar Installation at Rice Creek Commons
(largest in the Metro)
Property Assessed Clean Energy Program (PACE)
Solar panel installation on County-owned buildings
A COMPREHENSIVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND IMPACT INVESTING FRAMEWORK
Closing the affordability gap is as much about attenuating the costs of living as it is about raising resident household incomes.
Sources: American Community Survey 5-yr estimates and MN DEED 8

9. INCLUSIVE, EFFECTIVE, and MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Economic Growth and Community Investment
DEMOGRAPHY
The region’s population of color will more than double by 2040 while the non-Hispanic white population will remain about the same as it is today.
The region will continue to be an immigration gateway, gaining 362,000 new residents through international immigration by 2040.
Ramsey County is already the region’s most racially and ethnically diverse community and has the largest share of skilled workers with language abilities beyond English.
Diversity is a critical asset for future economic development in Ramsey County and the region.
INCLUSIVE, EFFECTIVE, and MEANINGFUL COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
Source: American Community Survey 5-yr estimates
Skilled labor force is defined as labor force participants (employed + jobseekers) with some college or an associates degree and/or a bachelors degree or higher. 9