New shops on Main Street : a growth industry?

It usually has been thought that the supply of job opportunities in non-metro areas of Oregon is limited by their export base, which is primarily timber, agriculture, and recreation. This research considers the possibility that self-employment by recent in-migrants may have expanded the net export base in Jackson County. Only about 15 percent of the new in-migrant firms exported (outside the county) more than they imported; these firms combined fabrication of a product with wholesaling and/or retailing functions. The remainder of the firms compete with existing firms for existing markets and for the anticipated growth of these markets. Although these firms may benefit local consumers by providing price and service competition, they operate within rather than expanding the net export base of the community. In general, "New Shops on Main Street" are not a growth industry.