Gov. Josh Shapiro has two new feathers to pin on his hat: A new report finds that Pennsylvania is the only northeast state with a growing economy.<\/p>\n
That new finding comes on the heels of Pennsylvania emerging as the only northeast state to place in the top 20 \u201cBest States for Business\u201d this year.<\/p>\n
The findings on Pennsylvania\u2019s geographically robust economy come from Axios, which on Friday published an analysis by Moody\u2019s Analytics <\/a>that found the Commonwealth is one of just 16 states nationwide where the economy continues to expand despite national headwinds.<\/p>\n The analysis \u2014 led by Moody chief economist Mark Zandi \u2014 examined state-level jobs data, industrial production, personal income, and housing starts.<\/p>\n Twenty-two states are either in a recession or on the precipice of a downturn, the Moody\u2019s report shows. The problems of those states are driven largely by a mix of slowing immigration, increasing tariffs and federal job cuts, Zandi argues.<\/p>\n He finds that the immigration crackdown is suppressing growth.<\/p>\n \u201cState-level data makes it clear why the U.S. economy is on the edge of recession,\u201d Zandi wrote in an X post. <\/a><\/p>\n Pennsylvania ranked among the third cadre of states with growing economies.<\/a> The report found that California and New York, which together account for over a fifth of U.S. GDP, are holding their own. Their stability is crucial for the national economy.<\/p>\n The Shapiro administration is touting the recognition as \u201cgrowing evidence\u201d that Pennsylvania\u2019s economy is strong, competitive, and growing.<\/p>\n \u201cSince taking office, Governor Shapiro has made Pennsylvania more competitive \u2014 launching the Commonwealth\u2019s first economic development strategy<\/a> in nearly two decades \u2014 and by cutting red tape, streamlining permitting and licensing, and making strategic investments that have attracted over $25.6 billion in private-sector investment, created more than 12,500 good-paying jobs, and expanded opportunity across the Commonwealth,\u201d the administration said in a press release Friday.<\/p>\n Last week, Area Development ranked Pennsylvania among the top 20 <\/a>\u201cBest States for Business\u201d \u2014 the only Northeastern state to make the list \u2014 and placed the Commonwealth in the top 10 for \u201cSite Readiness Programs.\u201d<\/p>\n This includes the largest private-sector investment in Commonwealth history: Amazon\u2019s initial $20 billion investment to build new AI and cloud computing campuses that will create thousands of high-tech and construction jobs.<\/p>\n The accolades for the Commonwealth under Shapiro\u2019s leadership come at a time when polls consistently show favorable public opinion of the Democratic governor.<\/p>\n A new Franklin & Marshall College poll<\/a> shows Shapiro\u2019s approval rating besting that of President Donald Trump \u2014 with a 10-point advantage.<\/p>\n F&M\u2019s poll found that Shapiro continues to be comparatively popular, with 51% of those surveyed rating his performance \u201cgood\u201d or \u201cexcellent.\u201d Only 41% of those voters thought the same of Trump.<\/p>\n A Quinnipiac poll earlier this month found that Shapiro continues to enjoy broad-based approval,<\/a> with 60% of poll respondents saying they approve of how he\u2019s handling his job.<\/p>\n That includes 93% of registered Democrats, along with 28% of Republicans, as well as 66% of independents who view Shapiro\u2019s job performance favorably.<\/p>\n Shapiro in recent months has been criss-crossing the state to announce or roll out one business or economic initiative after the next.<\/p>\n On Thursday, the governor was in Lackawanna County to announce $39 million and more on 11 projects that will transform land riddled with abandoned coal mines into areas ready for data center development.<\/p>\n The so-called PA SITES (Pennsylvania Strategic Investments to Enhance Sites)<\/a> have directed $114 million in funding for 29 projects statewide that will transform underused land into shovel-ready business sites. <\/p>\n \u201cLackawanna County is on the brink of growth in various areas, and we are excited to embrace this opportunity to help our communities thrive and keep our residents employed in family-sustaining jobs,\u201d Kristin Magnotta, director of the Lackawanna County Department of Planning and Economic Development, said in a statement.<\/p>\n The Lackawanna project calls for the reclamation of old coal mine-scarred lands into viable sites for power-intensive data centers. <\/p>\n The race to make Pennsylvania attractive to Big Tech and data centers, however, has garnered plenty of scrutiny, with questions on whether AI and cloud computing will be an economic boon for parts of the Keystone state \u2013 or another boom and bust.<\/a><\/p>\n Some analysts warn<\/a> that the impressive job numbers forecast with high tech jobs \u201ccan lead to massive exaggerations\u201d on the number of permanent jobs created by these capital-intensive projects.<\/p>\n If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement<\/a> and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and\/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Gov. 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