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Journal Article
Regional business cycles in New York State
We track the business cycles for New York State and for major upstate metropolitan areas over the last quarter century and compare them with the national cycles. To date the regional cycles, we use a new methodology that combines several data series into a single composite measure - or index - of economic activity. Our findings show that New York State's recessions tend to last longer than the nation's, although the region's metropolitan areas have very different industrial compositions and thus different business cycles.
Journal Article
Small businesses in upstate New York rank barriers to growth
The Buffalo Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and the Center for Governmental Research (CGR) surveyed small businesses in western and central New York State. The object of the survey was to identify what small business owners perceive to be the chief barriers to the growth of their companies. We provide an overview of the survey and its findings. The barriers to growth cited in upstate New York are similar to those cited nationwide: nonwage worker costs, state and federal taxes, and energy costs. Small business owners also see several advantages to their upstate New York ...
Journal Article
Buffalo's employment on the rise
Employment growth in 1999 for the Buffalo metropolitan area was the strongest in a decade. Buffalo's job growth rate of 1.6 percent was still less than that of the U.S., upstate, and New York State as a whole. In a second section on the cost of rail shipping in Western New York, we present data showing that rates for the four studied commodities have in fact been above national averages. Although it is difficult to determine the exact reasons for Buffalo's higher prices, some combination of higher costs and a lack of competition likely explain the differential.
Journal Article
Examining the rising foreclosure rate
We examine the foreclosure rate in the U.S. economy and outline factors that may be contributing to its rise. We also investigate the behavior of foreclosure rates in New York State and six of its major metropolitan areas. Particular attention is given to Buffalo, where foreclosures increased fourfold in the 1990s.
Journal Article
Understanding regional economic growth in the new economy: industry clusters
This article seeks to explain why industry clusters are receiving so much attention. It discusses how and why clusters form, what makes them successful, and why they are believed to contribute to regional economic growth. The article also examines what the evidence on industry clusters suggests about local economic development, and describes strategies used by communities adopting a cluster approach. The final section outlines New York State's efforts to identify the industry clusters that are important to its economy, as well as the challenges faced in this process.
Journal Article
The changing composition of upstate New York's workforce
We use newly available data from the 2000 census to assess the occupational composition of the upstate New York workforce and to analyze how it has changed since the 1990 census. We also compare the evolving mix of occupations in our region with that of the nation as a whole, an approach that allows us to identify upstate New York's areas of specialization and some unique features of the changes in the region's labor market.
Journal Article
Population out-migration from Upstate New York
We identify the nature and extent of the out-migration from the upper New York State region and examine its economic impact. Our analysis begins with an explanation for the outflow. Next, we describe population growth trends and estimate the extent of the out-migration. We conclude by showing how out-migration is reshaping upstate New York's economy and demographics, and is resulting in limited growth and a population that is aging faster than most U.S. populations.
Journal Article
Vitality in upstate medical manufacturing
We describe the medical manufacturing industry generally and examine the industry's presence in upstate New York and its metropolitan areas. We show that upstate has a considerable employment concentration in the manufacture of both medical devices and pharmaceuticals. This activity is distributed widely among the region's metropolitan areas, with Buffalo, Glens Falls, Rochester, Syracuse, and Utica specializing in the industry overall and Albany showing strength in two subindustries.
Journal Article
Economic diversity and New York State
We consider why broad-based economies have some advantages over their more specialized counterparts. We show that diversity can be a spur to productivity and innovation, and that firms in a region with many types of businesses will enjoy easy access to the resources and services needed for production. In addition, we argue that regions with a broad mix of industries possess a buffer against economic shocks that adversely affect individual industries.
Journal Article
Conference explores inner-city business development
The May 1 conferences titled "The untapped urban market: attracting business to the inner city," and presented by the Buffalo Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in partnership with the University at Buffalo Department of Planning, discussed the economic challenges faced by inner-city communities and explored effective strategies for business development. We summarize the various inner-city development models presented at the conference and the discussion that arose around them.