14 vs. 3 — a Southeast Missouri economic growth comparison

Little or no economic growth has occurred in the last decade in considering the totality of 14 Southeast Missouri counties, according to a recent report by Jeff Pinkerton, chief economist with the Missouri Department of Economic Development.

If the focus in narrowed to the three-county region of Cape Girardeau, Perry and Scott counties, however, growth in the same time period has approached 9%.

Pinkerton, in June 7 remarks at Robinson Event Center in Perryville, Missouri, covered information such as population trends, workforce activity and overall economic strength.

"This doesn't mean we should be in panic mode but instead that now is the time for us to look at broader regional strategies to build and grow throughout Southeast Missouri," opined Rob Gilligan, president/CEO of Cape Girardeau Area Chamber of Commerce. "The first step is recognizing the current situation and setting a baseline. The next step is Southeast Missouri coming together to work through challenges and grow."

Gilligan also sounded a note of caution in reviewing Pinkerton's report.

Jeff Pinkerton

Jeff Pinkerton

"While the numbers indicated that Cape, Perry, and Scott counties have increased over the last decade, the details show that the entirety of that growth happened from 2011-2016 while our area gross domestic product rate has been flat over the last five years," he said.

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