The outlook for the county’s economy in 2011 is the best it’s been in years, but a return to the boom it won’t be.
Economists expect to finally stem four years of declines with a projected gain of 23,000 jobs next year. That’s only a fraction of what’s needed to make a significant dent in the unemployment rate, now at about 9%. But it would be a big shift from 2010’s estimated loss of nearly 11,000 jobs.
Projections are for incremental gains across the major sectors of the county’s economy, with some faring better than others.
Technology, healthcare and trade could see fairly lively growth. Hard-hit real estate and retail are expected to continue their crawl back. Projections for finance, tourism and manufacturing look pretty good.
We look at key parts of the county’s economy and what to expect in 2011 with our annual forecast edition. We also tap people and companies to watch in the coming year.
Previews start with the Technology section.
—Michael Lyster
