The New Geography of Jobs"A timely and smart discussion of how different cities and regions have made a changing economy work for them—and how policymakers can learn from that." —Barack Obama We're used to thinking of the United States in opposing terms: red versus blue, haves versus have-nots. But today there are three Americas. At one extreme are the brain hubs—cities like San Francisco, Boston, and Durham—with workers who are among the most productive, creative, and best paid on the planet. At the other extreme are former manufacturing capitals, which are rapidly losing jobs and residents. The rest of America could go either way. For the past thirty years, the three Americas have been growing apart at an accelerating rate. This divergence is one of the most important developments in the history of the United States. But the winners and losers aren't necessarily who you'd expect. Enrico Moretti's groundbreaking research shows that you don't have to be a scientist or an engineer to thrive in one of the brain hubs. Taxi drivers, teachers, nurses, and other local service jobs are created at a ratio of five-to-one in the brain hubs, raising salaries and standard of living for all. Dealing with this split—supporting growth in the hubs while arresting the decline elsewhere—is the challenge of the century, and The New Geography of Jobs lights the way. "Brilliant." — Forbes "Mr. Moretti says the data support the argument that technology innovators are one of the most important engines of job creation in the US" —Jessica E. Vascellaro, Wall Street Journal "Excellent" — The National Review "A clear and insightful account of the economic forces that are shaping America." — The New Republic |
Contents
| 1 | |
1 American Rust | 19 |
Microchips Movies and Multipliers | 45 |
3 The Great Divergence | 73 |
4 Forces of Attraction | 121 |
5 The Inequality of Mobility and Cost of Living | 154 |
6 Poverty Traps and Sexy Cities | 178 |
7 The New Human Capital Century | 215 |
Back Matter | 251 |
Back Flap | 295 |
Back Cover | 296 |
Spine | 297 |
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Common terms and phrases
agglomeration American communities American Community Survey American workers attract average benefits biotech Boston brain hubs California China city’s college graduates college-educated cost of living created creative decades decline Detroit divergence earnings economic economists employees engineers example Facebook factory Flint gentrification geographical global Google growing growth high school graduates high-tech companies high-tech sector higher human capital ideas immigrants important income increase industry inequality innovation hubs innovation sector investment iPhone knowledge spillovers labor market less Mark Zuckerberg Menlo Park metropolitan areas Microsoft million mobility move multiplier effect number of patents past percent Pixar policies productivity prosperity residents salaries San Francisco San Jose Seattle Shenzhen significantly Silicon Valley skilled workers social startups Steve Jobs success tech tend tion traditional manufacturing U.S. Census Bureau unemployment United University urban venture capitalists Visalia wages Walmart York