Labor Statistics for the Finger Lakes Region Genesee, Livingston, Monroe, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, Wayne, Wyoming and Yates Counties
Private sector employment in the Rochester metropolitan area increased over the year by 7,100, or 1.7 percent, to 433,900 in April 2012. Employment gains were concentrated in trade, transportation and utilities (+4,100), professional and business services (+3,600), financial activities (+1,600), leisure and hospitality (+800), construction (+500) and manufacturing (+300). Losses were reported in education and health services (-3,400) and information (-300). Government employment (+700) increased over the year.
Of Special Interest to the Finger Lakes Region:
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Focus on the Finger Lakes
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Bruce Herman, Deputy Commissioner for Workforce Development The U.S. economy officially entered into recession
in December 2007, according to the National
Bureau of Economic Research, the widely
acknowledged arbiter of recession dates. At
that time, the private sector job count in the
Rochester metro area (Livingston, Monroe,
Ontario, Orleans and Wayne counties) stood
at 439,000, down 700 jobs (-1.6 percent) over
the year. The area’s unemployment rate was
a relatively low 4.8 percent. Eastman Kodak
had just concluded its massive restructuring
plan and local job losses were
largely concentrated in the
manufacturing sector. In the subsequent 12 months,
the local jobs picture has
dramatically worsened. The
weakness that began in the
area’s manufacturing sector has
spread to a number of other
key industries. From November
2007 to November 2008, the number of
private sector jobs fell by 4,200 (-1.0 percent)
to 435,000, its lowest level for the month since
2003. Over the same time span, the area’s unemployment
rate climbed from 4.3 percent to
5.9 percent. It has been a difficult year to say the least.
Over the past 12 months, educational and
health services added 1,700 new jobs, but all
other major sectors -- manufacturing, trade,
transportation and utilities, professional and
business services, construction and leisure
and hospitality -- showed net losses. Changes in Manufacturing To put these figures in perspective:
manufacturers accounted
for more than one out of every
six private sector workers and
paid out more than 25 percent
of all private sector wages in
the Rochester area in 2007. No
other major sector injects as
much money in terms of total
wages into the local economy. It’s not all bad news. Although manufacturing
jobs declined during the year, employment
was much more stable in 2008 than
in 2007. Many employers have shifted their
focus from the local market to national and/
or global markets. Taking advantage of technological
advances, area manufacturers have
increased their productivity. Employers are
even reporting a shortage of workers with
the skills to operate new, state-of-the-art
equipment. In an effort to attract workers,
Monroe County government will offer certain
graduates of Monroe Community College a
one-time bonus of $1,500 if they spend one
year working at an area manufacturing firm. While only a shadow of its former self, Kodak continues to make significant contributions to the regional economy. According to the local business press, the company has a $650 million annual payroll and spends $500 million on goods and services in Monroe County alone. Despite its shrinking local employment numbers, many of the jobs lost at Kodak remain in Rochester, but with other companies. For example, last year Canadian investment firm Onex Corporation purchased Kodak's health-imaging unit and renamed it Carestream Health. Other Industries Slowing Too Looking Ahead Tammy Marino NYS Department of Labor 276 Waring Road Rochester, NY 14609 Phone: (585) 258-8870 E-mail: Tammy.Marino@labor.ny.gov |