NEO Exports Increase

NEO EXPORTS INCREASE 40% SINCE PRE-RECESSION LEVELS

Northeast Ohio’s export activity approached $29 billion in
2014, a 16% increase since 2006 and 40% since pre-recession levels
in 2009, reports the quarterly
Cleveland Plus Economic Review released today by Team NEO.

“Our strong manufacturing base, along with the
region’s transportation/logistics network and business
resources, contributes to this upward trend,” said Bill
Koehler, CEO of Team NEO. “Manufactured goods represent 81%
of all exports from Northeast Ohio.”

Statistics from the report include:

  •  Transportation Equipment and Chemical
    Manufacturing Top List of Export Goods

    • In 2014, exports for transportation equipment were at $4.2
      billion, with chemical manufacturing exports at $3.5 billion. These
      two industries represent 27% of total goods exported in 2014.
  •  Consumer Food and Beverage Companies Lead Growth
    Segments

    •  From 2006 to 2014, beverage and tobacco exports increased
      144%, to $57 million. Food manufacturing increased 63% for this
      same time period, to $916 million.
  •  Royalties Rank Highest Among Services
    Exported

    •  In addition to transporting goods, Northeast Ohio
      provides a variety of services to companies overseas. Royalties
      topped this list at $1.34 billion, followed by travel and tourism,
      and financial services, each approaching the $1 billion mark.

In addition, all of the economic indicators tracked in the
report are trending upward year-over-year:

  •  Total Employment Reaches 1.92 Million
    • Up 16,000 jobs year-over-year
  •  NEO Unemployment Rate Decreases
    Year-over-Year

    •  The Northeast Ohio unemployment rate averaged 5.5% in Q2
      2015, down from 6.1% in Q2 2014.
  •  All Sectors Experienced Year-Over-Year
    Growth 

    •  The manufacturing sector gained more than 3,100 workers
      from Q4 2014 to Q4 2015, while the service sector gained more than
      1,000 workers and construction grew by nearly 1,000 jobs for the
      same time period.
  •  Well Activity Continues to Increase
    • The number of producing wells grew to 1,003 currently in
      production in the state, up 82 wells from Q3 2015 to Q4 2015. There
      were 168 new permits issued and 82 new wells drilled for this same
      time period.

Team NEO publishes the Cleveland Plus Economic Review quarterly
to provide a holistic picture of Northeast Ohio’s economy. It
is the only regular source of collective economic data for the
18-county region. The nonprofit organization uses the information
to attract new businesses and jobs to Northeast Ohio and help those
that are here grow.

Team NEO uses Moody’s Economy.com and U.S. Bureau of Labor
Statistics data and Ohio’s Labor Marketing Information to
aggregate regional figures.

About Team NEO

Team NEO is an economic development organization focused on
creating jobs for Northeast Ohio’s residents. In collaboration with
our partners, it leads the region’s business attraction
efforts, supports business retention and expansion work as
Northeast Ohio’s JobsOhio affiliate, and aligns strategies
and resources within the economic development network to maximize
its impact.  In addition, Team NEO provides tools to assist
employers in attracting talent to the region.

For more information, visit www.teamneo.org and
www.clevelandplusbusiness.com.