The Local Economic Impact of Coal Mine Closures

WP 26-30 – Falling natural gas prices amid the shale boom triggered a sharp decline in U.S. coal production, with over half of Appalachian mines shuttering between 2011 and 2016.

Featured Work

Eds and Meds: Variability of Anchor Institution Employment Impacts Across U.S. Regions

Universities and hospitals anchor regional economies in distinct ways. The updated Anchor Economy Dashboard now separates their economic impacts, revealing how each sector uniquely shapes local economies and drives different regional dynamics.

Has Generative Artificial Intelligence Adoption Impacted Labor Demand at Third District Firms?

According to a survey from late October 2025, about half of the respondent firms in Delaware, southern New Jersey, and eastern and central Pennsylvania are using generative artificial intelligence, but few see a need to reduce their workforce.

Do Research Universities Recession-Proof Their Regions? Evidence from State Flagship College Towns

WP 26-08 – Using synthetic differences-in-differences models, the authors study whether U.S. counties containing state flagship universities experienced resiliency via lower unemployment rates during the past three U.S. recessions.

Featured Data

Anchor Economy Dashboard

Explore the economic impact of anchor institutions in 520 regions across the United States. The reliance index demonstrates how dependent regional economies are on these institutions and provides a measure of the national average.

Updated: 17 Apr ’26

Occupational Mobility Explorer

This interactive tool sheds light on career pathways in the U.S. labor market. The tool allows users to explore career paths and visualize how job skills needed for specific occupations can transfer to higher-paying occupations in the same geographical area.

Updated: 23 Sep ’24