The Job That Never EndsBeating the local business community's drum is a lot harder than it used to be.
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Imagine you're a juggler, and the number of balls you haveto keep in play is doubled with every toss. That's what hasbeen happening to many U.S. economic development agencies, saysKurt Chilcott, chairman of the International Economic DevelopmentCouncil.
Historically, economic development focused on bringing jobs intoa region. But in the past 20 years, their roles have expanded toinclude working with existing businesses, helping create new firmsand improving the assets that attract companies to a region,explains Chilcott. As if that weren't enough, the September 11attacks and the recent recession have officials scrambling to buoytheir economies. Increasingly, many say they're looking intheir own backyards for business--but do their actions bear outthat claim?
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