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Biz Council Study Gives Upstate Failing Grade
Business Council Gives Upstate a Failing Grade September 11, 2007 The New York State Business Council recently released an Economic Growth Index, which shows that almost half of New York's 62 counties trail the nation in terms of growth in jobs, wages, income and population. All but two of Western New York's eight counties received failing grades, and Upstate, as a region, also got an F.
While these findings are not surprising to those of us who live with the reality of them every day, they are plenty sobering, and arrived on the heels of the US Census Bureau rating the City of Buffalo the second-poorest in the nation, with a poverty rate of nearly 30% behind only Detroit. That US Census Bureau ranking included only those cities with populations above 250,000. However, there's also an important Upstate connection here. Due to their size, Albany, Rochester and Syracuse were not included in the analysis, but both Rochester and Syracuse have poverty rates identical to Buffalo's - in Rochester it's 30% (the highest among the state's cities) and in Syracuse it's 29.9%. In Albany 27.1% of residents live in poverty.
Poverty in New York State
Source: Census Bureau City | Population living in poverty | Children in poverty | Elderly in poverty | Rochester | 30.10% | 41.10% | 17.40% | Buffalo | 29.90% | 42.90% | 12.00% | Syracuse | 29.60% | 40.80% | 10.10% | Albany | 27.10% | 42.30% | 31.90% |
This is exactly why we partnered with business organizations across Upstate to form the Unshackle Upstate coalition, which has grown to 57 organizations representing more than 32,000 employers and over a million workers. The coalition thanks the Business Council for shining a spotlight on issues affecting the Upstate economy, and for calling attention to problems on which Unshackle Upstate has been working hard for the last two years.
Unshackle Upstate remains committed to creating positive change through reform intended to lower the cost of doing business in New York and encourage businesses to increase investment in order to retain and create much needed, well paying jobs. Recent reforms in Workers' Compensation got the coalition's 2007 program off to a solid start, but much more work remains to be done. The Unshackle Upstate partners are currently developing our 2008 agenda. As we work for reform in the 2008 legislative session, we will continue to ask you to contact elected officials to advocate for meaningful change.
Until then, take my word for it that no one - anywhere across Upstate New York - is taking these reports in stride. We remain united, steadfast and more committed than ever in our efforts.
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Biz Council Study Gives Upstate Failing Grade
