“Over the last few years, we have experienced a significant uptick in requests for a variety of types of data for use in news stories, economic development, major proposals and more,” says Jeff Schaaf, Talent Attraction Manager at the TRCC. “After investigating the information and data resources offered by our peer cities, it made perfect sense to partner with the experts at the Center for Regional Development at BGSU to create the data center. We’ve worked with that team on other projects, and resources and data that is available to them is extremely valuable.”
“BGSU is proud to partner with the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce on this project and provide relevant data on the current conditions in the Toledo MSA,” says Will Burns, Interim Director for the Center for Regional Development at BGSU. “As a public university, the university strives to fulfill its role in creating public good. We look forward to expanding on this partnership as a source of data and analysis on community and economic development across the region.”
Some of the reports included in the data center document results as far back as 2000, comparing unemployment rates around Toledo over the years. According to the TRDC, the unemployment rate in Toledo has been steadily dropping since it peaked in June 2009 at a rate of 13.8%. As of April 2019, Toledo’s unemployment rate is just 3.3% – a huge improvement over the course of a decade.
As businesses here in northwest Ohio and around the country find talent attraction and retention more difficult than ever, the TRCC has put a major focus on talent alignment over the last few years. From creating the Toledo Region Talent Alignment Strategy to reorganizing our Talent and Workforce team to support talent attraction throughout the region, the TRCC is working hard to assist businesses in accessing and drawing in the talent they need. The information the TRDC provides is the next step in this process.
“Requests for data are some of the most frequent inquiries we receive here at the Chamber,” says Wendy Gramza, President and CEO of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. “With the launch of the Toledo Region Data Center, employers now have the information they need to help make data-driven decisions for their businesses in a centrally located, easy to use platform.”
The TRDC is evidence of the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce’s dedication to growing the Toledo Region, supporting businesses and, by extension, making life better for the people who live, work and play in the area.