People Power the Economy

Meeting today’s workforce challenges to secure tomorrow’s economic success

In response to companies’ needs to recruit talent, the GFMEDC spent 2025 pouring considerable resources into marketing the region as a great place to live and work.  

So, why would our organization spend time and effort supporting talent attraction? 

With thousands of open positions across the Fargo-Moorhead region and one of the lowest unemployment rates in the nation, attracting talent consistently tops the list of challenges for local employers. Simply put, there aren’t enough people to fill the available jobs — and that shortage limits growth. When companies lack the workforce to meet current demand, they can’t take on new projects or expand operations. 

This challenge is expected to intensify over the next decade. According to Lightcast, a leading labor market analytics firm, the region faces a wave of retirements alongside fewer new workers entering the labor market. Combined with other demographic and economic pressures, the need for talent will only grow more urgent. 

It’s actually a global trend — there are fewer and fewer people available to perform critical work across industries like manufacturing, construction, skilled trades, and healthcare. Our research shows the U.S. is on track for an estimated shortage of 6.2 million workers by 2032

—Josh Wright, Head of Growth, Lightcast

 

Reporting Strong Results in Support of Talent Attraction

In 2025, the GFMEDC led two grant-funded talent attraction campaigns marketing the region as a great place to live and work.  

The two campaigns grabbed national attention. 

Campaign Performance Highlights 

 

Fargo, for Good 

This targeted marketing campaign aimed at encouraging alumni and those with ties to the region to consider moving back home “for good” tapping into their sense of connection and nostalgia for the region.  

 The campaign featured two strategic giveaways that drew strong interest and helped us collect contact information from more than 19,000 people, providing an opportunity to build a long-term pipeline of potential talent. 

In addition to the giveaways, the campaign showcased a series of engaging ads and videos highlighting the quality of life, career opportunities, and community connections that make our area unique. A year-long automated email campaign was also developed to continue engaging users. 

Finally, we took the opportunity to grab some feedback from users entering the giveaway providing us valuable feedback on their motivations and driving factors.

From 10,000 survey respondents: 

• 66% Have never lived in Fargo  
• 58% Have some tie to the region, either friends or family or both 
• 83% Are either likely to consider moving to a different city or are already thinking about it 

The top three features that would motivate respondents when considering relocation were:

• Quality of life: 74% 
• Lower cost of Living: 69% 
• Job Opportunities: 67%
   

We also created a robust landing page to accompany the campaign Fargo for Food

 Small Communities. Big Opportunities.

Using authentic storytelling and targeted outreach to connect people with life and career opportunities across our Greater Region 

Through this campaign, GFMEDC brought the story of small-town living in the wider regionto life. We developed distinct advertising themes and several high-quality videos designed to showcase the lifestyle, career opportunities, and strong sense of community that make smaller communities an appealing place to live and work. 

The campaign paired compelling storytelling with a clear call to action, inviting viewers to learn more and take the next step. Interested individuals were directed to a dedicated landing page where they could sign up for additional information and receive a curated email series highlighting communities across the region. 

A key strength of the campaign was its authenticity. We worked directly with local community representatives to gather content that reflects the unique amenities, character, and opportunities found in each town. 

“For a small, rural community like Casselton, regional cooperation is critical to workforce recruitment. By aligning our marketing efforts with the Greater Fargo Moorhead Economic Development Corporation and broader metro, we’re able to tell a stronger, more complete story—one that highlights career opportunity, quality of life, and the shared strength of our regional economy. When we market the region together, we expand opportunity for employers, give workers more choices, and strengthen the entire area. We’re grateful for the platform to showcase Casselton’s differentiators,” said Adrienne Olson, Community & Economic Development Director, City of Casselton.

Beyond awareness, the campaign focused on connection. Individuals who engaged with the ads had a direct pathway to request more information, allowing GFMEDC to make personal, one-on-one connections or connect prospective residents directly with small-town leaders—turning interest into meaningful engagement. 

 

Live in FM Area: A Cornerstone of Regional Branding 

Positioning Greater Fargo-Moorhead as a place where people want to live, work, and build their future 

To strengthen and promote the region’s brand identity, GFMEDC redesigned the Live in FM Area website, the cornerstone of our regional talent attraction and branding efforts. The platform showcases what makes the Fargo-Moorhead area an exceptional place to live, work, and build a career. From healthcare and housing to recreation and education, the site also features a robust, integrated jobs board. 

Designed to showcase life in the region—from healthcare and housing to recreation and education—the site also features a robust, integrated jobs board. 

Complementing the website are two core brand videos. In 2025, we produced a family-focused brand identity video. That along with the Young Professional video together serves as foundational marketing assets. These anchor pieces are widely used by recruiters and employers to highlight the region’s quality of life, career opportunities, and community strengths, providing consistent, compelling tools to support talent attraction across the region. 

We love the website and videos that help sell the Fargo/Moorhead community. We ask candidates what is important to them and what they like to do and use this website as a tool to help sell them on our incredible town and community!

– Megan Sneddon, Sanford Health  

 

Bioscience Career Exploration Fair 

A student-focused experience within the GFMEDC’s broader Bioscience Summit 

As part of the GFMEDC’s broader Bioscience Summit, the Bioscience Career Exploration Fair focused on strengthening the bioscience talent pipeline by connecting high school and college students with emerging career opportunities. The event welcomed more than 90 students, who engaged directly with biotech and healthcare employers alongside admissions representatives and faculty from five regional postsecondary institutions—NDSU, MSUM, Concordia College, Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State), and North Dakota State College of Science (NDSCS).

Participants explored education and training pathways and gained firsthand insight into the innovation and career opportunities taking place across the region. Supported by two dozen industry and education partners, the event highlighted the collaborative approach driving bioscience workforce development and long-term growth in the region.

 

Direct Company Support

We are also assisting companies with immediate hiring needs. For example, our Lightning Recruitment program uses our data to support immediate, direct hiring of candidates outside our metro.

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Workforce Data

We are gathering workforce and economic insights to guide smarter data-driven decisions to support long-term competitiveness across Greater Fargo–Moorhead.

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