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Report: CT’s manufacturing talent improves

The quality of Connecticut’s manufacturing workforce has improved and so has its ranking, according to the 2017 Manufacturing and Logistics Report Card.

Now in its 10th year, the report ranks each state in areas of the economy that underlie the success of manufacturing and logistics. It is produced by Ball State’s Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER) for Conexus Indiana, that state’s advanced manufacturing initiative.

Connecticut grades improved in workforce, or so-called “human capital” from “C” to “B-,” benefits costs from “F” to “C-,” expected fiscal liability gap (“D-” to “D”) and productivity and innovation from “B-” to “B+.”

Human capital, or “talent” includes the quality of educational background and is the most important factor in firm location decisions, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics and U.S. Department of the Census.

State grades remained the same in manufacturing “C+” and tax climate “D.” Grades slightly declined in global reach (“B+” to “B”) and diversification (“D” to “D-”).

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“According to folklore, this has been a terrible generation for manufacturing and those who move goods,” said CBER director Michael Hicks, the George and Frances Ball Distinguished Professor of Economics and Business Research. “That isn’t really what the data says.”

In fact, 2015 was a record year for manufacturing production, while 2016 fell somewhat short and 2017 “looks to be a new record year,” he said.

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