Do you surf? Do you hike? Do you want to be close to your family? Sometimes regionality and lifestyle matter more than your career, and figuring out where you want to live and which careers within a particular region best suit you is the best approach.
For information on the local impact of industries, local workforce trends, or information on complying with local regulations, the best place to look is either a Regional Economic Development Corporation or a Chamber of Commerce. Regional Economic Development Corporations operate a lot like think tanks. These groups do research on large scale industry trends within a region and developing policies that support regional economic and workforce development. These groups typically lobby to government and publish research on how to promote businesses in a variety of sectors within a region.
