Regional Economic Competitiveness Assessment: Economic Forecast for The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham

On behalf of The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham, REMI prepared a report that produced a fundamental economic and demographic forecast for the six-county Greater Birmingham region and provided an assessment of the region’s economic competitiveness. This improved understanding of their region allows them the capability to plan and prepare accordingly for the future. REMI found that the Greater Birmingham region was in the process of macroeconomic recovery after significant growth fueled by housing and construction and that their recent steady annual population increase was on the decline. The report included economic policy suggestions like investing in infrastructure and human capital, continuing to make the region an attractive place to live and work, ensuring appropriate levels of taxation and expenditure, and providing a suitable regulatory environment for business and property.

RPCGB, REMI – Regional Economic Competitiveness Assessment [full PDF]

The Macroeconomic Impact of LNG Exports: Integrating the GPCM® Natural Gas Model and the PI+® Regional Model

This study was an integrated effort between RBAC and REMI to display how incorporating two complimentary modeling tools can create a more complete comprehension of the topic being analyzed. The REMI PI+ and RBAC GPCM models were combined to examine the macroeconomic impact of liquefied natural gas exports as an example for the benefits of using multiple models to improve the impacts and forecasts of the two. Policy decisions for both the private industry and policymakers should come down to multifaceted considerations, and they should consider environmental and other issues beyond purely economic ones.

RBAC, Inc., REMI – The Economic Impact of LNG Exports [full PDF]

Economic and Policy Statement: Universal Paid Leave Amendment Act of 2016 (B21-415)

A 70-sector regional economic model was built by REMI and customized to the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Statistical Area so as to determine the impacts of the most progressive universal paid leave plan the District has ever enacted. Three scenarios that were modeled were: 1) businesses absorb the 0.62% payroll tax, 2) employees absorb the tax, and 3) employers and employees split the tax evenly. All three scenarios show very minor impacts to GDP and employment, but important social factors show significant improvements, particularly in reduction of infant mortality and increases in women’s labor force participation.

District of Columbia – Economic Policy Impact Statement [full PDF]

The Economic Impact of H.R. 932 and Mandatory Paid Sick Leave on U.S. Small Businesses

Using the REMI model, the NFIB Research Foundation found that implementation of H.R. 932 in 2016 could result in 430,000 jobs lost by 2025. It was also found that real output lost could rise to as high as $652 billion, with small businesses feel the true weight of this decision with 58% of all jobs lost and 50% of total lost output. States that already have mandates for sick leave would be impacted much less by such a national ordinance.

NFIB – Mandatory Paid Sick Leave [full PDF]

Potential Economic Effects of a Permanent Increase in the Section 179 Deduction Allowance Limit

The National Federation of Independent Business Research Foundation used the REMI PI+ model to quantify the gains in employment and production due to the theoretical expansion of the deduction allowance limit from $25,000 to $500,000 per year. The collected results suggest that an expansion of this caliber could increase employment by about 197,000 jobs in the first 10 years while output increases by $18.6 billion in that same time frame.

NFIB – Section 179 [full PDF]