Economic development recommendations that focus on the “working poor”: lessons from Waco

Waco

Most cities hope that the benefits of their economic development efforts trickle down to the poor segments of their population. In a twist, leaders in Waco, Texas decided that improving the lot of their working poor (which, as noted in the figure are likely to be the majority of the workforce) should be a direct goal of a new economic development strategy. The Upjohn Institute was chosen by Waco to help them devise and implement such a strategy. Beginning in summer 2013, project staff conducted a thorough review of the economic and workforce entities in Waco, pored over relevant economic and labor market data, and conducted nearly 200 personal interviews to develop the recommendations found in a new newsletter article. These recommendations are relevant for virtually any community. Click the link below to access the entire report.

READ THE REPORT