barometric_surveyFour times a year Greater Mankato Growth distributes a survey to area businesses regarding multiple metrics in order to gather how the economy performed during previous quarter and what businesses project for the upcoming quarter.  Additionally, a unique inquiry is posed in each quarter to gain topical insight to the local economy.The fourth quarter, October - December, was strong for the Greater Mankato economy. The strong end of year was forecasted in the previous survey as well, as business projected that nearly all metrics would be up versus the same time last year.

GM at the Capitol 2013 logo

Greater Mankato at the Capitol is the largest citizen advocacy event from our region. NEW in 2017, we are partnering with the Minnesota and Rochester Chambers of Commerce to hold a joint event on Wednesday, March 8 that will be bigger, better and will have more impact than ever.Register now to attend this important event! Sponsorship opportunities are also still available, you can learn more هنا.Here are the Top 10 Reasons why YOU should attend Greater Mankato at the Capitol:

 FromTheDomeLast week Governor Dayton signed into law SF 1, bipartisan legislation providing a premium relief to those buying health insurance in the individual health insurance market in 2017. While providing relief to the individual market was certainly the focus of the legislation, the bill also included important Minnesota Chamber-backed provisions for small employers which are outlined below.

The country is facing a labor shortage as the Baby Boomer population retires and the Mankato-North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area (Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties) is no different. To provide insight on strategies to address this shortage, Greater Mankato Growth conducted a national comparison of Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) and analyzed workforce engagement. The unique labor force characteristics of our MSA can show areas for improvement and opportunity for enhanced engagement with our diverse populations.The Mankato-North Mankato Metropolitan Statistical Area (Blue Earth and Nicollet Counties) have very unique attributes in our workforce.  According to the U.S. Census Bureau, we rank 364 out of 381 MSAs in the country in terms of percent of workers 16-64 year who worked full-time, year round.

talenttaskforce_smallcling_transpOur economy is facing a critical workforce shortage. Over the next five years, employers – already struggling to fill open positions – will see this challenge accelerate due to the confluence of an aging workforce, a diminishing worker pool and the need to fuel an anticipated 20 percent growth in new employment due to economic growth. Greater Mankato Growth convened a talent task force which is charged with initiating a collective community response, stemming from a framework of strategic priorities. The Talent Task Force will share this framework at the summit as the guiding document.

Business owners rarely see a reason to build on things like their ينكدين profiles. “I’m not looking for a job.”, is a common response when asked why they don’t have one. But in today’s uber-competitive business climate, where even mom and pops are potentially competing on a global level, it’s more important than ever to be able to differentiate your business, and yourself, from the competition. This is done through personal branding.

FromTheDomeThe Legislature will gavel into session on January 3, 2017. With a budget surplus of $1.4 billion and several key policy issues like taxes and transportation unresolved following the 2016 session, next year’s legislative session promises to be very important to our community and businesses. I'm looking for your input to help shape our organization's policy priorities for 2017.
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