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November 2019 Summary of Select Trends
Click on the source in (parenthesis) to visit the full article TECH Data companies want to be closer to their customers, but how close is too close? This month, Google purchased FitBit in a landmark acquisition that seemingly restructures its healthcare strategy. (TechCrunch) ECONOMY US factory output is at the lowest level since early 2009, or the end of the Great Recession. Only three out of 18 industries reported growth in September. Although manufacturing only accounts for one-tenth of the GDP, concerns of slowing job growth and further downstream impacts of global uncertainty continue. (Bloomberg) RETIREMENT Over six in 10 retirees depend on Social Security assistance to get through retirement. The majority of Americans cannot cover a $1,000 emergency with their savings today, and their dependence on Social Security speaks volumes of how ill-prepared working generations are for living up to 30 years after retirement. (The Motley Fool) HOUSING Many experts are speaking out with warning signs of another housing market crash in the US – in part from climate change and the impact on flood-prone areas. The number of people at risk of losing their homes to flooding has tripled. (MarketWatch) DEMOGRAPHICS The number of US adults that self-identify as Christian has dropped 12 percent in the last decade. It’s staggering for a country that had up to 9 in 10 US adults claiming to be Christians about a generation ago. In the 1980s, it almost seemed unpatriotic to not go to church. So what has happened, and how does that affect our communities? Despite the separation of church and state well-documented in our government, it’s no wonder how religion plays a large role in politics and vice versa. (The Atlantic) ENVIRONMENT Last month, researchers from Carnegie Mellon found air quality has declined for the first time since declines began in 2009. Increased driving and decreased EPA enforcement under the Trump Administration are two reasons experts point to as an explanation. (NY Times) |
Further reading
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Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations measure, benchmark, and affordably engage communities through high-quality metrics, surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].
Cobalt Community Research is a national 501c3 nonprofit, non-partisan coalition that helps local governments, schools and membership organizations measure, benchmark, and affordably engage communities through high-quality metrics, surveys, dynamic population segmentation, focus groups and work groups. Cobalt combines big data with local insights to help organizations thrive as changes emerge in the economic, demographic and social landscape. Explore how we can help by calling 877.888.0209, or by emailing [email protected].