R.I. receives failing grades on manufacturing and logistics report

By Emily Greenhalgh
PBN Web Editor
Twitter: @EGreenhalgh

MUNCIE, Ind. – Rhode Island received more than one failing grade in the 2012 Manufacturing and Logistics National Report from Ball State University’s Center for Business and Economic Research.

The report graded states on manufacturing industry health, logistics industry health, human capital, tax climate, worker benefit costs, expected liability gap, global reach, productivity and innovation and sector diversification.

Rhode Island earned four failing grades on the 2012 National Scorecard in logistics industry health, tax climate, expected liability gap and productivity and innovation.

The state’s productivity and innovation grade dropped from a D in the 2011 report to an F in this year’s report.

“State and local governments throughout the U.S. purchase bonds for infrastructure improvement and provide pensions and health care for workers. Typically a dedicated revenue stream pays for these bonds from local or state finances,” said a release announcing the report. “Pension obligations are typically funded in an actuarially evaluated fund.”

The Ocean State didn’t do much better in other categories. It earned a D- in global reach, a D in manufacturing, a C- in both human capital and worker benefit costs and a C+ in sector diversification.

The expected liability gap, in which Rhode Island earned an F, was new to the 2012 scorecard.

Comparatively, Indiana, which earned top marks on the scorecard, earned four As in manufacturing, logistics, tax climate and global reach, a B+ in productivity and innovation, a B in expected liability gap, a C+ in sector diversification, a C- in human capital and a D+ in worker benefit costs.

CBER prepared the report at the request of Conexus Indiana, the state’s advanced manufacturing initiative. To read the full report, bsu.edu/cber/publications bsu.edu