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Central Ohio forecast: weak job growth, experts say racial inclusion is major economic drag
Summary
Regenomics founder Bill Lafayette told the Columbus Metropolitan Club that Central Ohio is likely to add about 4,500 jobs in 2025 (0.4%) and ranks last among large U.S. metros on racial and ethnic inclusion; he urged a task force and targeted workforce policies.
Bill Lafayette, owner of Regenomics, told a Columbus Metropolitan Club forum that his 2025 Regionomics Columbus Economic Forecast projects a gain of about 4,500 jobs — roughly 0.4% growth — for Central Ohio's roughly 1.1 million–job economy.
"This year's forecast is for a gain of a measly 4,500 jobs in our 1,100,000 plus economy, 0.4%." Lafayette said, adding that recent years have shown growth well below national averages and that the region's labor force problems increasingly reflect a mismatch between employer needs and applicants' skills.
Lafayette said local employment growth has lagged national trends, and he flagged a separate long‑term measurement: when comparing Central Ohio to 53 other very large U.S. metropolitan areas, the region…
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