Workforce & Labor Concerns Dominate BNP’s annual Member Pulse Report
Blog Categories
October 2, 2021
The Partnership’s annual Advocacy & Member Survey is designed to identify pain points, areas of concern, and obstacles to growth. We have summarized the 2021 results in the Member Pulse Report.
According to the survey, the top concern of Buffalo Niagara employers is their difficulty finding and retaining qualified talent.
“Employers in our region faced talent shortages before the pandemic, but COVID-19 has only made that problem worse,” said Dottie Gallagher, President & CEO of the BNP. “Skilled employees are in high demand, so effectively training workers and connecting them with employers is essential for our regional economy’s future success.”
The Member Pulse Report also revealed:
- employer attitudes toward mandated COVID-19 vaccines
- sentiment on regional assets including the Buffalo Bills
- perceptions of the regional and state business climate, and forecasts for the year ahead
- pain caused by the ongoing closure of the U.S.-Canada border
- a strong majority of employers are planning or considering allowing employees to work remotely for the long-term
- and much more
Last year’s top concern of COVID-19’s economic impact fell to the bottom of this year’s list following vaccination progress and the relaxation of pandemic business restrictions.
The information included in the Member Pulse Report influences the BNP’s government affairs and economic development work. Member input is also used to help develop our annual Advocacy Agenda – encompassing the organization’s federal, state, and local policy priorities - which will be released in early January 2022.
To read the complete report and download your own copy, click here.
Related Posts
Empire Center: Single Payer “Sticker Shock”
A new report from the Empire Center for Public Policy details how expensive a single payer healthcare system would be in New York. The full report is available here.
Workforce Policy Update March 2022
The BNP works closely with government leaders to keep them informed of employer challenges and to advocate for policy that would ease the workforce crisis. The BNP supports legislation that expands access to education and training, makes quality childcare more accessible, removes barriers to workforce participation, and reforms our immigration system to meet our region’s workforce needs.
What is Carbon Pricing?
In the New York State Climate Action Council’s Draft Scoping Plan, the Council recommends implementing some form of carbon pricing to help the state combat climate change. So, what is carbon pricing, and how would it impact New York?
2.10.22 COVID Bulletin: BNP Gets Answers on Masking and HERO Act
Yesterday, Governor Kathy Hochul announced she would repeal the state’s mask mandate, effective today. However, her announcement did not proactively address how the repeal coincided with the NY HERO Act, which would have required employees in most workplaces to continue masking.