Interactive platform makes Northeast Ohio’s economic data easier to use and adds a Workforce Ecosystem page showing the region’s full talent pool
Team NEO announces the launch of its new Vibrant Economy Indicators (VEI) platform, an interactive website that brings together more than 600 economic indicators to help business leaders, site selectors, and regional partners better understand Northeast Ohio’s economic performance, competitive advantages, and opportunities for growth.
Developed with support from JPMorganChase, the platform offers a comprehensive picture of economic conditions across Cleveland, Akron, Canton, and all of Northeast Ohio’s 14 counties. Users can explore regional data, compare Northeast Ohio with 12 peer markets, examine historical trends and projections, and track progress toward the region’s 2030 goals.
The VEI platform is designed to help businesses make informed investment and expansion decisions while giving economic developers, workforce organizations, educators, and community leaders a shared foundation for identifying priorities, directing resources, and strengthening the region’s long-term competitiveness.
“Northeast Ohio has tremendous economic assets, but continuing to grow requires a clear understanding of both our strengths and the challenges we need to address,” said Matt Dolan, chief executive officer of Team NEO. “The new, interactive VEI platform puts that information into the hands of decisionmakers, creating a shared foundation for smarter investments and partnerships, measurable progress, and accountability.”
The VEI platform goes beyond traditional measures of economic performance, such as gross domestic product (GDP) and employment, to examine the underlying factors that influence a region’s ability to compete, grow, and prosper. Organized around six interconnected pillars — Talent, Equity, Innovation, Resilience, Competitiveness, and Prosperity — the platform provides insights into workforce availability, educational attainment, business operating conditions, infrastructure, access to capital, innovation assets, natural disaster risk, affordability, and quality of life.
For example, the VEI platform highlights Northeast Ohio’s standing as the nation’s 15th-largest regional economy by GDP, a cost of living that is 6% below the U.S. average, growing access to insurance and internet, and declining poverty and unemployment rates. But the research also shows that the gains are not consistent across demographics, and gaps remain.
“By sharing the full picture, VEI helps leaders go beyond understanding topline metrics to understand what is driving performance and where additional attention and investment could make a difference,” stated Team NEO’s Vice President of Strategy, Research, and Talent Jacob Duritsky.
One of the platform’s distinguishing features is its ability to benchmark Northeast Ohio against 12 nearby, competitive, and aspirational markets. These comparisons help users identify where the region holds advantages and where gaps could affect its ability to attract and retain businesses, investment, and talent.
Historical trends, projections, and 2030 targets provide additional context, allowing regional partners to evaluate how economic conditions are changing and what improvements will be needed to achieve long-term goals. The website also highlights initiatives addressing regional challenges, connecting economic data with work already underway and opportunities for collaboration.
With a custom “find my path” tool, VEI users have the option to customize the platform based on their goals. Employers and workforce partners can examine how educational credentials align with employer demand and explore training pathways that help connect businesses with talent. Community leaders and funders can use the data to identify investments that expand economic opportunity, strengthen communities, and support the workforce and infrastructure businesses need to grow.
While the website makes economic data more accessible for independent exploration, Team NEO’s economists and researchers will continue to provide analysis and context to businesses and regional partners, including custom analyses on workforce, costs, site availability, incentives, and more.
JPMorgan Chase supported the development of the new VEI platform as part of its commitment to strengthening regional economies and expanding economic opportunity.
The Vibrant Economy Indicators platform is available to the public at neohioeconomy.org.
About Team NEO
Team NEO is a private, nonprofit economic development organization that ignites economic vibrancy, fosters sustainable growth, and champions equitable prosperity. As a designated JobsOhio Network Partner, we collaborate across all 14 counties in the Northeast Ohio Region to create strategies to attract and retain companies, drive innovation, cultivate a skilled workforce, advance market-ready sites, and promote and engage the region. To learn how Team NEO helps make Northeast Ohio more competitive, visit teamneo.org.
About JobsOhio
JobsOhio, Ohio’s private nonprofit economic development corporation, enhances company growth and personnel development through business attraction, retention, and expansion across ten competitive industry sectors. With a team of seasoned professionals, JobsOhio utilizes a comprehensive network to foster talent production in targeted industries and attract talent through Find Your Ohio. Collaborating with seven regional partners, including Dayton Development Coalition, Lake to River Economic Development, Ohio Southeast Economic Development, One Columbus, REDI Cincinnati, Regional Growth Partnership, and Team NEO, JobsOhio delivers world-class customer service to provide companies with a competitive advantage. Learn more at www.jobsohio.com. Follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.