Upstate slow to gain brains A new study finds the area lags significantly in efforts to attract a college-educated work force
By CHRIS CHURCHILL, Business writer First published: Wednesday, August 1, 2007
A new report suggests upstate New York should worry less about the so-called "brain drain" and worry much more about the lack of a "brain gain."
The study released Tuesday by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds that if upstate New York were a separate state, it wouldn't be losing its existing college-educated population at a faster-than-average rate. It would, however, rank dead last in its ability to attract college-educated newcomers.
Buffalo-based economist Richard Dietz authored the study, using data from the 2000 census. Dietz's conclusions contradict what has become a mantra in upstate New York: that a lack of jobs is fueling an unusually rapid exodus of the best and brightest.
"College-educated adults are just not moving to the region fast enough to stem what should be considered relatively natural rates of out-migration," Dietz said Tuesday.
Dietz found that 13.4 percent of upstate's college-educated workers left the region between 1995 and 2000. That's essentially the same percentage seen by North Carolina, a fast-growing Sun Belt state with a booming economy.
But while North Carolina had an in-migration rate among the college educated of 21.7 percent, the rate in upstate New York was just 9.3 percent. The rate in Louisiana, which had the lowest in-migration rate of any state, was 9.9 percent.
The Fed's report doesn't analyze why, exactly, newcomers appear unwilling to move to upstate New York. But in an interview with reporters, Dietz speculated that the region's lackluster economy and reputation for fearsome winters are likely factors.
Capital Region reaction to the study was mixed. Some observers questioned whether this area has much in common with struggling cities such as Rochester and Buffalo, even as they expressed hope that the study would bring renewed attention to upstate's economic struggles.
"He globs together the Capital Region with the rest of upstate, which is very misleading," said Kajal Lahiri, an economics professor at the University at Albany, who added that the report's portrait of upstate "would look even worse it you take the Capital Region out of it."
Lahiri also quibbled with Dietz's methodology. Northeastern states such as New York have a higher percentage of educated residents than states elsewhere in the country, Lahiri said, so they are more likely to have lower migration rates.
Making such a direct comparison, he said, is somewhat akin to saying a town of five people that doubles its population is growing faster than a city of 200,000 that adds 50,000.
Still, Lahiri stressed that he considered the report valid and helpful, if only because it looks at an ongoing concern in a new way.
Most recent concern about the brain drain focuses on the young. Worry about that demographic's supposed exodus is so great in upstate New York that the administration of Gov. Eliot Spitzer has called a summit on the issue, to be held Sept. 18 at the State University at Cortland.
But Dietz's analysis focuses only on people ages 25 to 60, and does so, he said, to eliminate students who may have moved in and out of the region only to attend school. The report, like others, centers on the college-educated because it's believed that group is vital to the creation of new businesses, the success of existing businesses and overall economic vitality. The group is particularly important to up-and-coming fields such as high-technology.
The study defined upstate New York as the 49 counties north and west of Dutchess and Orange counties. Dietz said data from the 2000 census were the most recent available, adding it's highly unlikely that the trends he found have changed in subsequent years.
Dietz also said his report raises one overarching question: "How do you get that work force to come to the region? Because these are people who have choices about where they want to live."
Capital Region observers said there's an obvious answer: Create high-paying jobs. But some conceded that the picture may be more complicated.
Severin Carlson, dean of the business school at the College of Saint Rose, noted that his graduating students often want to live somewhere lively and exciting. And, rightly or wrongly, they may not believe that upstate New York, or the Capital Region, is such a place.
Lahiri, the UAlbany professor, agreed, citing the attraction of areas such as New York City and Boston: "Young people, if they can, would like to move to more exciting areas," he said. "Let's face it; you cannot stop that."
Indeed, Catherine Hedgeman, an Albany attorney and founder of the GeNEXT social networking group, cites a study by Wisconsin-based Next Generation Consulting that suggests educated workers under the age of 40 would rather live somewhere "cool" than have a good job.
So can they be convinced that the Capital Region is cool?
Perhaps, Hedgeman said, adding that the young and old alike could be lured upstate if the state and business leaders launched a marketing campaign touting the region's attractions.
Dietz also sees benefits to such a move: "It certainly can't hurt," he said.
Churchill can be reached at 454-5442 or by e-mail at cchurchill@timesunion.com.
Told ya that we are looked upon as illiterate, uneducated rednecks! So how can we get folks to wanna 'move on up'?
In all seriousness...there are not many jobs that require a formal education. But we have to realize that 'upstate' is still considered rural compared to down state. Upstate still has much green space and except for a few industries that existed in the past, it was your basic farmland with small businesses. There are still many small towns and hamlets.
Considering upstate's population, I believe that we have a good share of 'brains'!
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
I know that when I had to work in NYC when they had problems the New York City guys that I worked with thought of anyone from upstate NY as hicks because we had seen cows, deer, and all the things that they almost never see.
They are right. We don't have brains. Highest cigarette tax in the country. Highest gas tax in the country. Highest cell phone tax in the country. Highest county taxes in the country.
The way to correct the situation is to vote the politicians out of office when their terms are up and put people in office who'll cut spending, lower taxes, and create jobs in upstate NY.
The way to correct the situation is to vote the politicians out of office when their terms are up and put people in office who'll cut spending, lower taxes, and create jobs in upstate NY.
I know I've said this before, but "Amen and Hallelujah."
Why youth vote with their feet Summit explores ways to retain, attract bright young minds to upstate
By CHRIS CHURCHILL, Business writer First published: Wednesday, September 19, 2007
CORTLAND -- Concerned the so-called "brain drain" is sapping the region's vitality, hundreds of upstate New York business and community leaders joined state officials Tuesday at a first-ever summit on the issue.
The "I Live New York" summit held at the State University College at Cortland campus, was organized by First Lady Silda Wall Spitzer, who has made a priority of examining the causes of the upstate brain drain, defined as the supposed proclivity of educated young people to move from the region.
The daylong event examined a wide variety of issues, from volunteerism among young professionals to the need to rejuvenate the architectural integrity of aging cities, from growing a creative economy to building the state's global reputation.
People from eastern New York and the Capital Region were less evident at the summit than attendees from Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse, which is about 25 miles north of Cortland.
But lack of Capital Region representatives might be appropriate, as it's generally agreed that the economy is better -- and the brain drain is less severe -- in the Albany area than elsewhere upstate.
Some attendees even described the Capital Region as part of downstate. At other times, though, the Albany area was cited as an example for other upstate cities to follow, particularly for its success in nanotechnology.
The upstate-downstate divide was frequently cited as a problem on Tuesday: "We don't work together," said Ellis Rubenstein, president of the Manhattan-based New York Academy of Sciences. "If we could work together, we could make great strides."
The summit attendees shifted from a large conference hall, where food and speeches were offered, to smaller rooms that hosted break-out sessions designed to examine specific issues. Ideas taken from the session will be included in a report to be released by the state's first lady later this year.
She called brain drain "a dangerous trend we can ill afford to ignore."
The Capital Region was well represented at the summit. At one point, Rachel Zimolka, a business development executive at Sunmark Federal Credit Union in Schenectady, was talking about the work she does as a volunteer and mentor. Meanwhile, Philip Morris, CEO of Proctors Theatre in Schenectady, was talking elsewhere about the importance of the creative economy.
A handful of members of GenNext, a Capital Region organization of young professionals associated with the Albany-Colonie and Schenectady County chambers of commerce, were scattered across the conference. Member Scott Keating, a communications manager at Clough Harbour & Associates, a Colonie engineering firm, said the group was benefiting from meeting members of similar organizations in other parts of the state.
At times, the gathering seemed as much like a general economic development conference as a conference on examining the brain drain. But speakers often said the fact that the economy is sagging in much of upstate New York is directly tied to the fact that young professionals are deciding to live elsewhere.
Summit attendees often aired the usual gripes about upstate during the conference. Taxes and expenses are high, they said. The weather is gloomy, at best. Cities lack vitality. The region attracts little venture capital. But generally, the conference was optimistic and forward-looking: "I see an upstate that has not just dozens of venture-backed companies, but dozens and even hundreds of these companies," said Martin Babinec, a western New York resident and president of the TriNet Group, a Silicon Valley company.
Indeed, attendees repeatedly stressed that the region has assets -- including beautiful scenery, a great education system and a high quality of life. It's a shame, they said, that much of the nation doesn't realize all that.
Gov. Eliot Spitzer, in a speech that concluded the day, said the optimism and energy generated by the summit needs to radiate across upstate, reaching those who didn't attend.
And he suggested that Tuesday's summit could be repeated.
"Silda has told me that she's had so much fun she might do it again," he said.
Wow...I really do live in upstate NY! I think I have experienced all of the above at least once.
When the INSANE are running the ASYLUM In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. -- Friedrich Nietzsche
“How fortunate for those in power that people never think.” Adolph Hitler
Logged
