Socioeconomic Development in Middlesex County

Abstract

Sustainable socioeconomic development is a widely accepted best business practice. Due to its complex nature, it is not easy for policymakers and community leaders to implement these practices without the help of an in-depth master analysis to guide them. The purpose of this report is a twofold. First, we analyze the challenges that restrain the economic development in Middlesex County area. Secondly, informed by the initial analyses, we advance a series of recommendations to help implement a sustainable socioeconomic development within Middlesex County and the surrounding area. The analysis relies on local demographics, and an overview of the ongoing activities and projects in Middlesex County along with comparisons to adjacent counties and national statistics. This analysis utilized data from a 2014-2015 detailed survey distributed among the leadership of the Middlesex Chamber of Commerce to assess extant business views and strategies in the area, as well as current census data and industry trends. This report concludes with general recommendations to aid the sustainability and continuity of business in the area.

Keywords: Sustainable development, Socioeconomic development, Middlesex, Demographics, Employment, Transportation, Survey, Infrastructure, Local business, Personnel strategies

JEL Classification: M20, O10, O20, R40