Oregon Public Broadcasting

Here’s some pretty nice company to keep.  Seattle, Bend, Bellingham, Olympia, Tri-Cities, Coeur d’Alene, and Billings appear on national lists of “recession-proof” cities.  Correspondent Tom Banse explains.

Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is among a half-dozen NW cities tabbed as “recession-proof.”

Researchers filled out this honor roll by looking at the current slowdown and two previous recessions.

Places that sustained job growth during all three qualified as recession-resistant.  Coeur d’Alene, Bend, Olympia, Bellingham and the Tri-Cities made the list published by the headhunting website JobBait.com.

Coeur d’Alene Area Chamber of Commerce president Jonathan Coe hopes the accolade doesn’t jinx his thriving resort town.

Jonathan Coe: “First blush, I’m a little nervous.  I think it is presumptuous to think there is such a thing as being recession-proof.”

On the other hand, Coe says the high end tourism and second home markets that Coeur d’Alene caters to typically hold up well in a downturn.  He says Bend, Oregon may be in a similar sweet spot.

Forbes magazine compiled a separate top-ten list of “recession-proof” big cities.  Seattle is the only Northwest name on that list. Oklahoma City came in first.

Online:

JobBait.com analysis of “recession-proof” cities .pdf

Forbes.com lists top ten “recession-proof” cities