Indicators of Inclusive Economic

Growth for the District of Columbia

Presented at Economic Intelligence Roundtable,
Inclusive Growth Metrics Workshop
September 16, 2016
Presented by Peter Tatian, NeighborhoodInfo DC

What is Inclusive Growth?

Inclusive growth is economic growth that
creates opportunity for all segments of the
population and distributes the dividends of
increased prosperity, both in monetary and
non-monetary terms, fairly across society.
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and
Development (OECD)

What is Inclusive Growth?

Growth is inclusive when it takes place in
the sectors in which the poor work, occurs
in places where the poor live, uses the
factors of production that the poor
possess, and reduces the prices of items
that the poor consume.
Thangavel Palanivel, United Nations
Development Programme

What is Inclusive Growth?

Inclusive growth refers both to the pace
and pattern of growth, which need to be
addressed together.
Inclusive growth takes a longer term
perspective as the focus is on productive
employment, rather than on direct income
redistribution, as a means of increasing
incomes for excluded groups.
Elena Ianchovichina and Susanna Lundstrom,
World Bank Economic Policy and Debt
Department

Potential Indicators: Quality Jobs

DC's economy should provide jobs with good wages and
benefits for persons with a range of qualifications and skills

Percent of jobs in DC with quality benefits

Number of jobs in DC, by wage category
Change in number of jobs, by wage category
Percent of job openings/postings that don't require 4-year college
degree

Potential Indicators: Businesses

DC's economy should support a diversity of entrepreneurs to
create and grow a variety of businesses
Number of firms

Percent owned by protected classes

Percent by firm size

Total sales

Percent generated by firms owned by protected classes

Percent by firm size

Financing availability/accessibility

Potential Indicators: Work

DC residents should be prepared for current and future
quality employment opportunities in DC and the region

High school completion rate

Percent of adults (ages 25-64) with at least a HS degree
Percent of DC high school seniors attending college
Adult literacy/numeracy
Access to job training (slots available, wait times, or as some
ratio of demand, and could incorporate quality)
Number of child care slots (could be relative to demand, could
incorporate measures of flexible hours, cost, and quality)
Average commute times for DC workers

Issues to Consider
Do the current set of proposed indicators include all of the
important areas for the city to measure?
For what populations and subpopulations should we be
measuring inclusive growth?
What role should place play for particular indicators?
For example, does it matter whether DC residents jobs are
located in the city?

How should we interpret changes in particular indicators?

For example, is a lower poverty rate always a measure of
success?

Contact and resources

Peter Tatian, ptatian@urban.org, @PeterTatian

OECD Framework for Inclusive Growth:
http://www.oecd.org/mcm/IG_MCM_ENG.pdf
http://www.oecd.org/inclusive-growth
United Nations Development Programme:
http://www.undp.org/content/dam/india/docs/consultatio
n_on_conceptualizing_inclusive_growth.pdf
What is Inclusive Growth?
http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTDEBTDEPT/Resou
rces/4689801218567884549/WhatIsInclusiveGrowth20081230.pdf