Campus News

Center Releases Report on Kentucky's Economy

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Feb. 1, 2011) − The Center for Business and Economic Research (CBER), which is headquartered in the Gatton College of Business and Economics at the University of Kentucky, released its 39th Annual Economic Report today. The report is one of the ways CBER, the applied economic research branch of the Gatton College, fulfills its mandated mission as specified in the Kentucky Revised Statutes to examine various aspects of the Kentucky economy. CBER performs research projects for federal, state, and local government agencies, as well as for private-sector clients nationwide. 

The articles in the 2011 Kentucky Annual Economic Report cover a variety of issues that range from an economic forecast for Kentucky in 2011 to a detailed examination of poverty to a look at how narrowing the academic achievement gap could elevate Kentucky’s national education rank and improve the state’s economic future. Other articles examine trends and issues in postsecondary education, health, and technology use — all important factors affecting Kentucky’s economy.

According to Ken Troske, Sturgill Endowed Professor of Economics, chair of the economics department and director of CBER, "Our goal is to inform policymaking through research and analysis on the current status of factors affecting Kentucky’s economy, yet a common theme tying these articles together is their forward-looking perspectives.”

Among the key findings in the report are: 

·         Because of continuing problems in the housing sector, Kentucky’s economic growth in 2011 will likely be only slightly better than 2010 economic growth.

·         Kentucky’s poverty rate began increasing even before the 'Great Recession' and in recent years has increased at a faster rate than nearly every other state.

·         Current trends suggest that by one educational measure, performance on the National Assessment of Education Progress (NAEP), Kentucky will rank among the states in 2020 exactly where it does today — 32nd. However, narrowing the academic achievement gap by one quarter could improve Kentucky’s rank to 20th, while narrowing it by half could move Kentucky to 11th by 2020.

·         Dual enrollment, a program that enables high school students to take college courses for credit, could help the state achieve its goal of increasing the number of degree holders. However, dual enrollment in Kentucky serves more as an accelerated vocational and technical school program than it does as a springboard into college.

·         Oral health has an important impact on one’s overall health and wellness. While trends show improving oral health among Kentucky adults, the trend line of improving dental health could be affected by an aging dental workforce and the supply of dentists in some regions of the state.

·         Federal health care reform could have a huge impact in Kentucky, given the size of the state’s uninsured population—626,000 citizens or nearly 15 percent of the total population. However, budget constraints and court challenges create considerable uncertainty over its future impact.

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An increasing number of Kentucky households have broadband, but more progress is possible and necessary. There is a stark digital divide in Kentucky on the basis of income, education, race, and age.  

"This report documents how Kentucky's economy is changing," said State Senator Alice Forgy Kerr, R-Lexington, 12th District, the chair of the Senate Economic Development, Tourism, and Labor Committee.  "Looking to the future, we need to ensure that we create a business climate that supports Kentucky's growing economic sectors," she added.

State Representative Carl Rollins, D-Midway, 56th District, the chair of the House Education Committee observed that, "If Kentucky is going to grow and prosper in this globally competitive economy, then we need to invest in our most important resource — our people, and this report highlights the importance of education for economic success."

Gatton College Dean D. Sudharshan added, “The rich body of data and analysis presented in the CBER Annual Report presents policymakers and citizens alike with knowledge they can use to improve the quality of life of Kentuckians and become better informed on economic issues.” 

Representing a diverse group of organizations, the authors of the articles in the CBER report come from the Council on Postsecondary Education, the Council of State Governments, the Foundation for a Healthy Kentucky, the Kentucky Community and Technical College System, and UK.

Digital copies of CBER's 2011 Annual Economic Report can be obtained at the CBER website at http://cber.uky.edu; by calling 859-257-7675; or, by sending an e-mail to cber@uky.edu.