Economic Development Policies to Enable Fairness for Workers and Communities in Transition

Federal intervention can play a positive role in local economic development, although available data suggests that the benefits so far have been limited. It is unclear whether larger programs would create more widespread benefits.Coordination across government agencies and with local stakeholders is a vital part of an economic development program’s success.Existing programs can be adjusted to support communities and workers in a just transition context, even if the original program was not designed for that purpose.Federal economic development programs are modestly funded. The level of government spending on these programs would likely need to grow considerably to support changing communities.Economic development policies will most likely need to be geographically targeted, tailored to local circumstances, and carried out in collaboration with local stakeholders. However, there is a risk that political considerations could steer funds away from the areas that need them most.