A Regional Look at Economic Trends from BC

Yesterday Don Brunell sent me a copy of a data-rich presentation by Jock Finlayson, executive vice president, policy, of the Business Council of British Columbia (like a state chamber of commerce). Finlayson made his presentation during a panel discussion that Don moderated at this year's Pacific NorthWest Economic Region (PNWER)  conference in Vancouver, BC.

A couple of points stand out. Overall, the region  - the US Pacific Northwest (Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and Washington) and Western Canada (Alberta, British Columbia and Yukon) - has shown stronger population and GDP growth than the rest of Canada and the US. PNWER states and provinces remain heavily trade dependent, with markedly increasing exports, with China as the dominant trading partner.

Although there are clear differences among the states and provinces that make regional identity sometimes difficult to grasp, common themes emerge. In particular, Finlayson's list of "medium term economic development issues" in BC could have been the focus of any conference on Washington state competitiveness in the last five years:

• Labor scarcity, skill shortages
  
• Investing in infrastructure (esp. transportation, energy, communications)
  
• Understanding both urban and regional development opportunities
• Climate change

Good stuff. Click through the slides and see for yourself.