KNOWLEDGE WORKER QUOTIENT

[krazeeboi]

Expansion Management magazine just released a list of "Five-Star Knowledge Worker Metros" which have a highly educated work force available for expanding businesses to consider. Check it out.

[ironchapman]

ATL's on there...I'm not surprised. We have one of the highest percentages of people with college degrees in the nation. (Bachelor's Degree and Up)

Interesting list.

[GaTechGuy]

That has practically ever major/mid-major city in America on it.

[eastsider]

Apparently the "five star" list is comprised of the top 20% of the 362 metropolitan areas.

[waccamatt]

Lots of college towns are on there. They probably just looked at the percentage of the population with degrees.

[120North]

It appears that college towns faired well in this "Study". Sure, there are a lot of places on there that have great colleges and univerities, but why would a growing business pick some backwater to put a new location just because they have an over educated work force. You open a business in an area where you will have a competative advantage and people will find you.

[UTCdude23]

I was suprised to see Syracuse and Rochester on there, aren't those metros declining?

[Brickell]

but both college towns, hence the argument against such a list... see post before yours.

[krazeeboi]

It's interesting that Boise, touted by Forbes.com as the best place to jump start a business or career due in part to having a substantial educated work force, wasn't even listed in the Expansion Management list. I also found it interesting that cities with good business climates like Charlotte and Greenville weren't listed.

[krazeeboi]

Also, I think it should be considered that several cities that aren't necessarily college towns in the traditional sense are still places where college graduates relocate once finished with school. I believe Charlotte would qualify as one of those cities.

Also, according to the 2000 census, both Charlotte and Greenville had a higher percentage of their populations (25+ years of age) possessing bachelor's degrees or higher than some of the cities on the list. In 2000 Charlotte reported 36.4% and Greenville 34.2%. By comparison, Baltimore listed 19.1%, Lansing 21.2%, Tucson 22.9%, Syracuse 23.2% Cincinnati 26.6%, and Columbus (OH) 29.0%.

At any rate, the entire article can be found here, which goes into detail concerning the criteria used to come up with the list.

[CNYsyr]

I was suprised to see Syracuse and Rochester on there, aren't those metros declining?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Metro Syracuse is not on the decline any longer. Since the year 2000, the metro has grown a few thousand. Nothing big, but its better than the decline it had in the 90s.

http://recenter.tamu.edu/data/popm/pm8160.htm

[NorthStar]

I'm not surprised to see Boston, Minneapolis and Atlanta listed being they are always ranked at or near the top of "knowledge based" lists. But Colorado Springs, Knoxville and Iowa City?

Where is this Expansion Management located?

[thehappysmith]

Knoxville: UT, Oak Ridge Nat'l Laboratory. Lots of college degrees.

Iowa City: University of Iowa, 40k students, 130k people in metro. High percentage.

Colorado Springs: Three Air Force bases, NORAD, Colorado College, UCCS, Colo. Tech, plus it's the type of place people of means gravitate towards.

It's perfectly easy to explain all of the cities on this list... but as others have already said I'm not sure I'd use this list to justify opening a new branch of my business in, say, Christiansburg Virginia.

[UTCdude23]

Metro Syracuse is not on the decline any longer. Since the year 2000, the metro has grown a few thousand. Nothing big, but its better than the decline it had in the 90s.

http://recenter.tamu.edu/data/popm/pm8160.htm

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Very interesting.... I'm originally from Upstate, (born in Schenectady, lived in New Hartford). I've always wondered if the area would make an effective turnaround.