However, many are beginning to look more closely at qualitative measures and criteria that often reflect desirable characteristics the state or region would like to promote or encourage. Ideally, these qualitative criteria reflect an area's unique character, priorities, and reality. The following is a list of some of the criteria used by states, regions, cities and other areas in their economic development analysis. Some of these may be easier than others to quantify and some will be important to some areas and not others. Many states use interviews and focus groups, for example, to identify important forward and backward linkages among industries, common and complementary labor, infrastructure, and input needs.
Some states identify industry clusters through interviews with firms about their suppliers.
In determining industry clusters, many states and regions look beyond data and quantitative analysis to more qualitative measures. Other states group industries based on labor, energy, and transportation requirements as well as common technologies and workforce skills. The region's energy plants generate a considerable amount of warm water that the region would like to recycle. Thus, the region is promoting the development of a cluster of greenhouse and related businesses in the area. For more information on how states and regions have used qualitative analysis to identify key industries, see Industry Clusters and the related links.