Back to News
Research Vision 8:28 Research Division · January 28, 2026
2025 Annual Economic Outlook Report: Emerging Trends in Community Development
Vision 8:28 releases comprehensive regional competitiveness data covering workforce trends, capital access gaps, and small business ecosystem health across 14 markets.
2025 Annual Economic Outlook Report
Our latest annual report provides a comprehensive analysis of economic development trends across 14 regional markets.
Key Findings
- Workforce pipeline gaps continue to widen in technology and healthcare sectors
- Small business formation rates have increased 12% year-over-year in target markets
- Capital access barriers persist in 9 of 14 surveyed regions
- Public-private partnership activity has accelerated significantly
Methodology
This report synthesizes data from federal agencies, regional EDCs, workforce development boards, and our proprietary survey instruments covering over 2,000 stakeholders.
The full report includes 87 pages of analysis, 32 key findings, and actionable policy recommendations for practitioners at every level.
Written by Vision 8:28 Research Division
January 28, 2026