CHANGES IN THE RANK OF WORLD ECONOMIC CENTERS IN THE UNITED STATES – PRESENT STATE AND PERSPECTIVES

The purpose of the study was to determine the level of resilience of the command and control function via its dominant sector in cities in the United States and forecast the level of resilience for the period up to 2025. Changes in the WECI index were used to analyze this issue. The index is calculated based on standardized values of financial data of companies located in major metropolitan areas with a special focus on economic potential and the variety of sectors present. The number of corporate headquarters decreased in most cities in the U.S. (designated world economic centers) in the period 2006 – 2016, while the resilience of their main sectors increased. The most important WECs in the United States today are New York, Chicago, Houston, and San Jose. Research has shown that the resilience of U.S. cities tended to increase in a lagging manner with respect to the market value of U.S. companies following the 2008 global financial crisis. The forecast for 2025 suggests that the leading WECs in the U.S. will be New York, Chicago, San Jose, and San Francisco. No spatial patterns were noted in future changes in WECI values. Both decreases and increases in WECI values occur more or less evenly across the United States. Changes in U.S. WECI values also do not appear to be related to a one specific sector of the U.S. economy.