Monday, October 17, 2011

US Cluster Geography

Pittsburgh is more eds than meds. Meds would seem to better define Philadelphia. US economic geography according to EMSI:

Since we are a data company with a specific knack for the industry side of things, here is a quick look at how cities are often shaped and characterized by the industries that compose them. We have selected the 30 most populous metro areas and pulled some key details on large, highly concentrated industries to see how the reputations of those cities are often shaped by key, often nationally dominant industries.

Pittsburgh and Boston are the only two metros "dominated" by the higher education industry. I'd characterize them as talent production centers. Other metros may produce more talent. But that doesn't define them like it does Pittsburgh and Boston. Talent production activities should continue to agglomerate in both regions. At some point this week, I'll take a closer look at what that means.

EMSI lists the top 3 clusters for each large metro.Third for Pittsburgh is "crude petroleum and natural gas extraction". 2011 employment lags well behind that of higher education. But this sector is predicted to grow by 32% in five years. That's over 3,000 new jobs and an emerging cluster. Pittsburgh is the only metro in the East to sport such a cluster in its top 3. Pittsburgh is, already, the energy hub of the East Coast. That distinction will only become more obvious.

1 comment:

BrianTH said...

I guess that answers my question in the comments to the last post--yes, some people are still talking about Eds and Meds, and specifically Eds, in Pittsburgh