Delaware has an identity problem, says a new report from the business group Delaware Business Roundtable.
This isn’t just a familiar joke from “Wayne’s World.” It’s also an economic issue.
The state’s population is aging and is already one of the oldest states in the country, according to the Roundtable’s March 12 report, “Delaware Investment Agenda.” But without a clear identity, it could be difficult to attract working-age people to fill the tens of thousands of jobs the state has created since 2017, the report said.
As Gov. John Carney likes to say, including during this month’s State of the Union address, there are 31,000 job openings in Delaware, but only 21,000 people looking for work.
So even though Delaware’s economy managed to grow a total of 8% from 2017 to 2022, the state’s future prospects could become even bleaker if something doesn’t change soon, the agenda said. Ta.
Of course many people have opinions. So why should everyone pay attention to this report?
Part of that is because the last time the Roundtable released a similar report in 2016, called the Delaware Growth Agenda, it had the governor’s ear. Perhaps some of the most important recommendations of that growth agenda have helped guide the direction of Delaware’s economic planning over the past eight years.
The Business Roundtable includes more than 50 Delaware CEOs, banks, schools, and major hospital stakeholders on its board of directors. People the governor tends to listen to. The 2016 Growth Agenda urges a public-private economic development group (funded equally by the state and private companies) to help seed and direct investment into companies looking to expand in Delaware. Ta.
If this concept sounds familiar, it’s because one of the first things Gov. John Carney did when he took office in 2017 was create an organization called the Delaware Prosperity Partnership. You can receive financial aid from the government.
In fact, even before Governor-elect Carney took office, he called roundtable executive director Robert Perkins (also a former chief of staff to several Delaware governors) for a meeting about how to create what would become the Democratic Progressive Party.
“He said, ‘I really like that idea,'” Perkins recalls. “How are you going to accomplish that?”
Since its founding in 2017, DPP-supported projects have created thousands of jobs and more than $1 billion in economic activity, according to DPP statistics. In its new report, the Roundtable will likely hope to catch the same lightning bolt no matter who sits in the governor’s chair in 2025.
Here are the issues outlined in the 2024 Delaware Investment Agenda and the big ideas the group hopes will help solve them.
Delaware isn’t looking ahead enough.
The overriding issue, the report says, is that no state agency is obligated to consider future issues like housing costs and aging and resolve them before they get out of hand.
Business leaders also say the land-use process is cumbersome and the state could do more to streamline approvals. The report points to “burdensome and inefficient development and permitting processes at the state, county, and local levels, particularly in New Castle County.”
Proposed solution: The agenda calls for the creation of a bipartisan Delaware Futures Council that will “raise awareness among Delaware leaders about the fundamental challenges that will impact the state’s future prosperity.” . The idea is most transformative, Perkins said, and would help move the state’s planning horizon far beyond the next election cycle and, hopefully, see the state 10 or 20 years into the future. He says he is looking forward to it.
In the short term, business leaders hope the state will cut through local red tape by requiring counties within the state to “expedite the review of certain types of development projects.” There will be.
Which project? How? The report notes that, in accordance with public input, “the development of office, manufacturing, industrial and business parks that meet certain size and job creation criteria” should be encouraged.
Delaware has one of the lowest labor force participation rates in the country
Simply put, too few Delawareans are working.
In 2021, 40% of Delawareans over the age of 16 were not in the labor force, the 10th highest rate of any state in the nation, according to the report. This doesn’t mean Delawareans are lazy. The report attributes this situation to several structural issues.
First, Delaware’s average age is 41 years old, making it one of the oldest states in America. “The state’s low labor force participation rate may be due to the relatively high proportion of older people in the population,” the report said, noting that in 2021, 36% of Delaware households will be in the workforce. He pointed out that he was receiving guaranteed income.
More: Future of Delaware predicted to be grayer
Another problem holding back the workforce is people not being able to pay for or find child care, the report said, with 13% of Delaware households reporting this problem. They point out that they have retired, changed jobs, or are no longer working because of this. High housing costs have also been cited as a hindrance to attracting young workers.
More information: The fight for affordable child care continues in Delaware.It’s for parents and providers
Proposed solutions: The investment agenda suggests several possible solutions. Perhaps the most important of these is expanding equitable access to early childhood (pre-kindergarten) education programs, Perkins said. It is reported that this not only helps improve the subsequent educational outcomes of the future workforce, but also provides childcare that enables parents to enter the workforce, helping to address future and current needs at the same time. The book points out.
The report also recommends creating a labor board reporting to the governor, creating new training opportunities and creating mixed-use workforce housing on public land.
Delaware invests less in research than other states in the country
Delaware is indeed small. But even when considered as a percentage of gross domestic product, Delaware invests significantly less in research and development than neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the report said.
The state ranked 39th in the nation on this metric in 2020, the report notes, but this agenda is far worse in terms of both fostering innovation that fosters businesses and competing with other states. It is said that this is related to results.
Proposed solution: In part, more is better. The agenda called for increasing national funding mechanisms to support entrepreneurs and start-ups. This is a fairly common request for organizations led by entrepreneurs and business leaders.
But the report also calls on organizations like the Democratic Party to develop, pursue and consistently follow a clear science and technology strategy, and plan centrally to guide growth. .
Delaware has no identity.
Okay, back to “Hello, I’m in Delaware.”
The report outlines that Delaware’s problems attracting talent and fostering growth stem from a lack of recognition that Delaware is not just home to people, but also industry. It is said that this issue was taken over by the states after the partition. Increased control of the state by the chemical company DuPont.
Silicon Valley and Austin are home to big tech, Portland is the birthplace of sneakers, and Minnesota is the land of 1,000 pacemakers and defibrillators. So what is Delaware like today and what makes people move here? This becomes increasingly important in the era of remote workers, the report says.
“Skilled professionals are increasingly able to choose where they want to live, regardless of where they work,” the report said.
Workplace Economics: Wilmington’s office vacancy is the worst it’s been in 1,000 years. So why is everyone so happy?
Proposed Solution: Here, the solution is more vague and calls for smarter marketing and “storytelling” about Delaware as a land of innovation. Rather than folding the tourism board, the report recommends creating an independent state tourism board, similar to many states in the country. Transferred to the small and medium enterprise sector.
But the report argues, in part, that small states like Delaware need to make difficult decisions to be effective and increase entrepreneurship and research efforts in specific areas such as “life sciences, clean, clean, etc.” It points out that there is a need to choose where to focus investment in order to create critical mass. energy, healthcare, agricultural technology, fintech. ”
Otherwise, the report suggests that states should prioritize “place-making.” It’s about creating affordable, accessible, fun, and attractive places that people outside of Delaware want to live in. In short, a wonderful place.
“Support local communities in developing authentic, branded places that attract and retain young people and leverage synergies to live, learn, work and play,” the recommendations read. In theory, the skilled workforce that Delaware needs is more likely to follow.
Matthew Korfhage is a Delaware business and development reporter who covers all things land and money, including openings and closings, construction and the many companies that call the First State home. Send tips and insults to him at mk*******@ga*****.com.
