The Distressed Communities Index (DCI) is a leading resource for understanding the geography of economic distress and opportunity in the United States. First launched by EIG in 2015 and updated annually, this groundbreaking dataset offers a comprehensive view of local economic health across the country — empowering the work of researchers, policymakers, investors, and community leaders alike
Exceptional by Design reimagines America’s high-skilled immigration system to better serve national interests. The report examines how current policies underperform, highlights the economic and strategic benefits of attracting global talent, and outlines a blueprint for a modern, merit-based visa framework that fuels innovation, strengthens competitiveness, and supports broadly shared prosperity.
The American Worker Project seeks to ground the national debate about work and wages in empirical evidence. Through original analysis, public opinion research, and guest essays, TAWP paints a clear portrait of how American workers are doing — and outlines a policy agenda to help close the gap between past gains and future potential.
The Great Transfer-mation traces how income from government programs — like Social Security, Medicare, SNAP, and other transfers — has become an increasingly central part of Americans’ personal income. Launched by EIG, this project maps the rise of transfer dependency across counties, uncovers its key drivers, and explores what it means for economic opportunity and fiscal sustainability.
The State Noncompete Law Tracker reveals how U.S. states regulate noncompete contracts, who is exempt, and where changes are emerging. As noncompetes increasingly constrain job switching and new ventures, this tool provides clarity on where and how reform efforts are unfolding.
The Index of State Dynamism (ISD) is a robust, data-powered measure of how states evolve and adapt in the U.S. economy. Updated regularly, ISD tracks factors like entrepreneurship, labor fluidity, business formation, and innovation — giving policymakers, analysts, and civic leaders a comparative lens into which states are thriving and which are being left behind.