Search Results
Showing results 1 to 10 of approximately 21.
(refine search)
Journal Article
How New York State's agriculture industry is staying competitive
We examine some of the challenges facing New York's agriculture industry and outline some innovative responses. We distinguish between two types of agriculture: commodities and value-added consumer foods. We show that commodities are a small fraction of the agriculture industry in New York State and are not a growing market segment, while value-added goods are the primary products of New York farms and represent a market segment that is growing significantly. We then briefly discuss important strategies that agricultural producers are using to remain competitive, including the adoption of ...
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
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
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
The upstate economy under the new NAICS classification system
We examine the composition of the upstate New York economy as reflected by the new NAICS (North American Industry Classification System) classifications, and explain how this new perspective changes our understanding of the economy. In addition, given the importance of manufacturing to upstate New York, we examine in detail the manufacturing sector under the new NAICS classification.
Journal Article
Economic restructuring in western New York State
We explore the distinctive patterns of Buffalo and Rochester's economic restructuring in detail. We compare the board structural changes in Buffalo's economy with those in Rochester's, and the changes in both metropolitan economies with those in the national economy. We also seek to understand the roots of these changes through an analysis of industry-level data. We find that although Buffalo and Rochester remain highly dependent on goods production and distribution, both cities have followed the national trend away from goods producing industries and toward service industries.
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
The foundations and practice of historic preservation
The authors examine historic preservation and show why it serves as an important force in the economy, discussing the motivations for historic preservation and how the practice has evolved, and explaining why government plays a role in preservation and how policy is implemented. Problems created by the competition between preservation and other interests are presented.
Journal Article
Tourism's role in the upstate New York economy
We begin with a broad discussion of how tourism has emerged as a force in the U.S. and regional economies. We follow with an examination of the industry's size and growth in upstate New York. We also show that the state's rural economy is generally more dependent on tourism than are its metro areas. Finally, despite its size, upstate New York's tourism industry is growing faster than the overall economies of Dutchess Country, Glens Falls, Jamestown, and Binghamton - thus making the industry an increasingly important contributor to growth.