Governor Braun’s strategy increases wages, return-on-investment for Hoosier taxpayers

Friday, September 26, 2025 at 7:00 PM

At the quarterly board meeting of the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) today, Governor Mike Braun highlighted the successes of his administration’s new approach to economic development.

Governor Braun highlighted that year over year, the average wage of jobs incentivized by the IEDC to come to Indiana has increased from $37 to $41, a 10% increase — that’s over $8,000 annually per job.

Results are going up, and costs are coming down: since Governor Braun took office, the average cost per incentivized job decreased from $55,000 per job to $16,000 per job.

“Our economic development priorities are very simple: increase wages and increase jobs. There has never been a better time to build a business or a career in Indiana. In addition to pursuing large companies and partners to do business in Indiana, we’re working to grow the Main Street economy.” – Governor Mike Braun

The IEDC board also voted to release the results of the IEDC forensic audit following legal review. Governor Braun spoke briefly about the audit, noting that it confirmed the need for increased transparency and accountability for how taxpayer money is spent.

Those concerns are being addressed with steps such as a new board policy that requires all votes to be taken by the full board instead of in committees, a new policy that ensures investment activity stays in Indiana, and a plan to wind down the Indiana Economic Development Foundation.

Future iterations of contracts with partners such as Elevate Ventures and ARI will reflect these new policies and oversight controls to ensure full transparency and maximum value for taxpayer dollars. Additionally, the Governor’s office will receive an appointment on the Elevate Ventures board.

“While we are increasing the focus on Main Street businesses, we are also taking steps to ensure that large companies and partners looking to expand their operations know that Indiana is the best place in the country to build and grow a business.” — Governor Mike Braun