The University of Notre Dame accounted for $873 million in economic activity and more than 12,000 jobs in St. Joseph County last year, a new study indicates.
With 5,039 full- and part-time employees (excluding students), Notre Dame remains the largest employer in the county. Besides those on its own payroll, the University accounts for another 7,341 jobs in the county through its spending on goods, services, construction and other economic activities, according to the analysis by Appleseed, a New York City-based economic development consulting firm.
The study was commissioned by the University and was based on data from University, government and other sources for the fiscal year 2006, when Notre Dames payroll alone amounted to $280 million.
Significantly, the study described Notre Dame asone of St. Joseph Countys leading exportbusinesses.
Each year,it said,the University brings to the South Bend area hundreds of millions of dollars in revenues drawn from all over the nation and the worldmost of which is spent locally on salaries, benefits, purchasing and construction.
The major areas of analysis in the study were:
- Notre Dames overall impact as an employer, a buyer of goods, services and construction; and a source of state and local government revenues;* Off-campus spending by students at and visitors to Notre Dame;* The Universitys role in the development ofhuman capital;* The impact of University research;* Notre Dames role in the development of new businesses;* The Universitys service to – and investment in – communities in the county.
We firmly believe that for Notre Dame to continue to grow and succeed, so, too, must the community in which we reside, and vice versa,said John Affleck-Graves, executive vice president of the University.This report is the second analysis of our impact locally, and we believe it will be an important tool for both Notre Dame and community leaders as we continue working together for the benefit of all.
A previous study found the economic impact of Notre Dame in 2002 to be $833 million. However, the studies are not directly comparable because the new report analyzes the impact only in St. Joseph County while the previous study considered the broader, more nebulous region known locally as Michiana.
Among the reports other findings, the University:
- Spent almost $93 million on purchases of goods and services (excluding construction) from vendors located in St. Joseph County, directly accounting for approximately 1,280 full-time-equivalent jobs* Spent $67.9 million on construction and renovation of campus facilities, directly generating more than 350 full-time-equivalent jobs with contractors in the county, and 272 jobs with contractors located elsewhere in Indiana* Directly accounted for almost $12.3 million in state and local tax revenues* Drew some 685,000 visitors from outside the county who spent approximately $114 million off campus* Is the alma mater of 7,941 Indiana residents, including 3,442 who lived in St. Joseph County* Contributed 373,000 work hours through student volunteerism
_ Note to the media: Copies of the executive summary of the economic impact report can be acquired by calling the Office of News and Information at 574-631-7367_
p.
TopicID: 25366