What does this indicator measure?

This indicator measures the number of mid-size establishments per 10,000 employees and mid-size establishment births as a share of all establishments and all establishment births.  The measures are taken from 2007 and are presented for the Syracuse, Albany, Buffalo, and Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA’s), as well as the aggregate of All Metro Areas and the 100 Largest Metros.

The metric presented below measures the number of new businesses established in a year relative to the size of the regional economy and is meant to capture the presence of high-impact entrepreneurship.  High-impact firms or “gazelles” account for the most lasting impact on regional employment and economic growth.  These firms exist in all industries and generally continue to grow in recessions.  They are generally younger and smaller than other firms in an economy, but are not necessarily considered start-ups (which is all we are able to measure here).  Mid-size establishments are defined by the Small Business Administration as those employing 20-499 persons.–explanation courtesy of the Brookings Institute