The Portland Community Chamber is excited to announce the release of its second annual Economic Scorecard.

The Scorecard analyzes economic data in defined categories illustrating how Portland is performing economically, particularly as measured against other benchmark cities.  The Scorecard is available at the Chamber's Office, 443 Congress Street in Portland, or online. Click here to read it. 

The Economic Scorecard details 32 indicators of economic vitality including employment, income, education, housing, taxes and overall affordability. These measures illustrate Portland as it relates to Maine cities, as well as to other benchmark cities around the country. The report shows that the city is making progress in sustaining and growing key economic sectors, and increasing income and education levels but still has challenges to increasing its business and economic development competitiveness particularly around housing and government costs.  

Some highlights from The Scorecard include:

• Portland is outperforming its peers on education attainment, tourism and household income, leading to a higher standard of living for Portland residents.
• Portland is lagging behind when it comes to the office vacancy rates, number of employees in city government and the amount of city debt when compared to peer cities

To become more competitive, Portland's business and municipal leaders need to promote what the city is doing well and improve where it is lagging.  The PCC's continued efforts should be to advance economic development through job creation and other metrics that will strengthen Portland as a desirable city in which to live and work.

Furthermore, The Scorecard ties in with the recent release of The Economic Development Vision and Plan for the City of Portland. This document is a collaboration between the Portland Community Chamber, the Creative Portland Corporation, the Downtown Portland Corporation, and the City of Portland. The Plan sets forth a development direction for Portland and is available by clicking here.

The PCC's first Economic Scorecard (2010) was the follow-up to its landmark report in 2007 titled "Looking Out for Portland and the Region".

Read Portland's Economic Scorecard.