A spatial examination of Ohio’s economic growth

It is widely acknowledged that Ohio’s economy involves distinct spatial patterns across difierent regions of the state. Despite this, data sources have not been available at a small enough spatial scale to al-low analysis of patterns of labor market change over time in urban, suburban and outlying areas. This study draws on a new database de-rived from establishment level (ES202) information on employment and earnings developed by the Ohio Urban Universities Program (UUP). The database allows us to examine growth of employment and earnings over the period from the flrst quarter of 1989 to the flrst quarter of 1998 for each zip-code area in the state. A major feature of the chang-ing economic landscape during the last decade has been the movement of flrms from urban to suburban and outlying locations. Our exami-nation analyzes these changing patterns of employment, earnings and establishments by classifying the 1,009 Ohio zip-code areas into urban, suburban and outlying areas. ⁄The authors would like to thank the Ohio Urban Universities Program for funding of the development of the ES202 data used in this study. 1