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DELAWARE GROWTH AGENDA THE DELAWARE BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE The Delaware Growth Agenda was commissioned by the Delaware BusinessRoundtable as a private-sector response to the need to enhance the state's economic competitiveness. In recent years, Delaware has struggled to contend with the lasting effects of the Great Recession, the substantial restructuring of the state's traditional industry clusters, and the intense regional and national competition for jobs, investment, and talent. While the State of Delaware and its economic development partners have worked tirelessly to reverse the losses and spur new growth, the economic forces plaguing the state have proved daunting. As a consequence, the Delaware Business Roundtable embarked on a non-partisan, collaborative planning effort that engaged more than 100 state, business, and community leaders to help craft a growth agenda designed to increase capital investment and job creation statewide. TIP Strategies, Inc., an economic strategy firm with offices in Austin and Seattle, was engaged by the Roundtable to conduct stakeholder meetings and compose the final report. KEY FINDINGS: Delaware's economy has undergone a substantial transformation over the last quarter century. Many of the traditional pillars of the state-whether cars or chemicals-are no longer significant job generators. Goods producing industries (i.e., manufacturing) accounted for about 20 percent of the state's nonfarm employment in 1990. By 2015, this percentage was cut in half to just 10 percent of all jobs. The state lost more jobs in manufacturing and corporate HQ than any other sector between 2010 and 2014. However, the Healthcare and Professional Services sectors have experienced robust employment growth in recent years. Delaware is home to a growing base on which to build a vibrant entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem. According to one statistical index that measures the innovative inputs/capacity and outputs of an economy, Delaware compares well to other surrounding states and the US as a whole. Higher education must become the long-term driving force of the state's entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, which will require a greater commitment of resources from state, federal, and private sources. An analysis of the economic indicators presented in the 50-State Scorecard indicates Delaware's relative economic performance trending negatively, compared to other states, in several indicators including per capita GSP, patents per 1,000 residents, private sector earnings growth, per capita disposable personal income, and transfer payments. Delaware's labor force participation rate between 2010 and 2015 showed the fastest percentage point increase among all 50 states. Rising labor force participation can signal improving employment opportunities. Please click here to read the full report!