New Maryland state of the economy report released, Eastern Shore sees improvements

MARYLAND – Maryland Comptroller Brooke Lierman’s recent state of the economy report shows the state on the up and up,. But what does that mean for the Eastern Shore?

“We’re seeing some of those same trends that were noted there, here, both the positives and the challenges,” said Salisbury University BEACON director, John Hickman.

The report highlights improvements in employment.  Hickman said those positive trends go hand-in-hand with entrepreneurship, a sector which helps bolster the Eastern Shore’s economy.

“One of the highest areas for growth in the state, the report mentioned, [is] entrepreneurship,” Hickman said. “If you look at several of the counties, the highest growth in entrepreneurship was on the Eastern Shore.”

Hickman points to one local company in particular that has set a sort of economic blueprint for the region.

“A firm that starts somewhere, a great example, is Perdue Farms. It’s one of our largest employers, so if you have a company that starts somewhere, usually they’re more invested to stay in that community,” Hickman said.

There is one big economic challenge that Hickman said the region is facing.

“We have a lot of low wage workers,” Hickman said. “We have workers who work in food manufacturing and the hospitality industry, and those industries particularly have had a real challenge in finding affordable workforce housing, that’s close to where those employees work.”

However, he said that seems to be changing, as younger talent are starting to stay local.

“We have a highly educated workforce, and those highly educated employees earn a higher wage,” Hickman said. “If we bring people here, they get that higher education and they stay here, and that brings in those higher wage earners and also brings in a higher work force.”