College of Business and Economics

Selections

Photo of a graph

Research Capabilities

Economic Forecasts

BBER has extensive experience in state and local economic analysis and forecasting, through the West Virginia Economic Outlook program. This effort includes forecasts and conferences analyzing the West Virginia economy, as well as many of the state's regional economies. BBER also produces forecasts for West Virginia's energy sector, including coal and oil and gas.
- More about Economic Forecasts

Labor Market Studies

BBER produces in depth analysis of local labor market and economic development conditions. These studies cover crucial socio-economic data, including employment by industry, wages, population and demographics, educational attainment, occupational employment and wages, and commuting patterns.

Sample Studies

Target Industry and Economic Development Studies

BBER conducts target industry studies, which analyze growth prospects and local linkages between industries in order to assist industrial targeting efforts. These studies include in-depth analysis of secondary data on employment and production, as well as one-on-one interviews and group strategy sessions with local leaders.

Sample Studies

Strategic Planning for Economic Development

Along with the Center for Executive Education, BBER conducts strategic planning for local labor market and economic development efforts. These efforts are grounded in extensive economic research, generally tied to labor market studies, target industry studies, and economic forecasts.

Industry Studies

BBER conducts in depth industry studies benchmarking the growth and decline of major industry sectors in West Virginia, as well as identify public policy issues for continued growth of these sectors. Through BBER research reports, the State of West Virginia has initiated the Polymer Alliance Zone and the Chemical Alliance Zone, both public-private partnership focus on enhancing growth of these specific industries. Other comprehensive industry studies examined by BBER researchers include tourism, wood products, and manufacturing.

Economic Impact Studies

What is the economic impact of a new firm in one of West Virginia's counties as well as the state as a whole? What about the economic impact of a plant expansion or closure? What is the economic contribution of both public and private higher education institutions on their regional economies and the state? BBER faculty and staff have extensive expertise in using the IMPLANŽ economic impact modeling system. These researchers have completed advanced training on this modeling system and have used it in estimating county, regional and state economic impacts associated with a wide variety of studies.

Public Finance and Policy

BBER conducts extensive research on West Virginia's state and local public finance and related public policy. BBER has supported major state tax reform initiatives including West Virginia Governor Manchin's Tax Modernization Project.
- More about Public Finance

International

BBER tracks international economic developments and West Virginia's role in the global economy. These efforts include reports tracking West Virginia commodity export trends by detailed industry using data from the World Institute for Strategic Economic Research. BBER also produces the West Virginia export-weighted value of the U.S. dollar, which shows how U.S. dollar exchange rate changes affect the competitiveness of state exports.

Sample Studies

Energy and Environmental

BBER analyzes and forecasts the state's energy sector, as well as the impact of environmental regulation. These studies range from analyses of the hydrogen economy - in West Virginia to the potential impact of efforts to limit global warming and improve air quality.

Sample Studies

Business and Economic Data

BBER has subscriptions to extensive databases on the West Virginia and national economies including federal, state, and private database vendors. BBER is an U.S. Bureau of the Census State Data Center with responsibility for the Business and Industry Data program. BBER has received a commendation from Census Bureau Director Louis Kinncannon in recognition of BBER's use of Longitudinal Employer-Household Dynamic Data in its research publications. Click here for photo and citation. BBER is a member of the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis BEA User Group, providing support for this agency's comprehensive state and local data in West Virginia. As part of the latter initiative, BBER annually publishes comprehensive data profiles for each of West Virginia's counties and metropolitan regions that are available in both printed and downloadable form. Customized data profiles are available for use in market research and planning.