Ashland and Medford see a free fall in the number of business applications being issued.
The number of business applications issued in Medford fell 9.1 percent for the fiscal year, while Ashland’s number dropped 12.4 percent last year.
Medford Deputy City Manager Bill Hoke said there are a variety of reasons for the decline in start-ups, with the inability to secure funding for new launches a key contributor.
“Money is tight,” Hoke said. “People are already stretched and they’re afraid to expand in a sinking market. Even though there is a glut of labor, is it the right labor? The other side to it is if you are relocating, they can’t get rid of what they have where they are.”
Read the full story at the Mail Tribune.
