Recovery & Resilience

Fourth Economy Consulting is a leader in economic development consulting, passionate about helping communities create resilient economies in times of both growth and disruption. Our consultants specialize in assessing vulnerabilities and proactively planning for and mitigating the economic shock and stressors that can disrupt regional economic stability.

What are stressors and shocks?

Stresses and shocks can be economic, social, or environmental in nature; regardless, they have the ability to impact your economy. A stress is a chronic condition, such as economic disparities, growing poverty, and uncoordinated economic support systems. A shock is an acute event, such as the loss of a major employer, flood, or a pandemic. The impact of a shock is made worse by the presence of underlying stresses.

Stressors

Long-term, often systemic issues that deplete resources or create barriers to economic growth and sustainability

Shocks

One-time events which require response and recovery planning

Fourth Economy is your partner for a more resilient future.

Fourth Economy is at the forefront of efforts to establish economic resilience. Our past work with 100 Resilient Cities and countless projects with communities in the midst of economic transformation guides our approach. The COVID-19 pandemic preyed upon chronic stresses in our communities and exacerbated economic disparities for the most vulnerable. Our team uses insights from the impacts of the pandemic to build more equitable and resilient communities.

The key to our process is understanding how your primary stresses influence your ability to leverage strengths, improve upon weaknesses, capture opportunities, and mitigate threats. That will inform the actionable strategies we develop with you to enhance your capacity to build and maintain economic competitiveness.