Research conducted by Ohio University’s Voinovich School of Leadership and Public Affairs show that manufacturing is the largest source of income and second largest employer in the Appalachian region.
The research began in 2006 and is funded through the government, said Vlad Pascal an economic research analyst for OU, in an email.
“This is a multi-year grant so we’ll be working on it,” Pascal said.
In the report, the Ohio Appalachia Manufacturing: 2011 Profile, there was a 4 percent increase in employment in the manufacturing industry since 2009.
In the study, five main manufacturing industries in the Appalachia region were examined — plastic and rubber, machinery, primary metal, transportation equipment and fabricated metal.
The five industries represent 44.1 percent of manufacturing companies and 48.6 percent of employment within them.
With further analysis, the research itself will be beneficial for many in the industry. The results are available on the school’s website, Pascal said.
“In general, we hope that community economic development professionals, governmental entities and local businesses find this analysis to be useful to inform economic and business development,” Pascal added.
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