BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — It appears Erie county's economy is off to a strong start in 2023. That's according to the county executive and an historic new "unemployment report" for our region. But, is this really good news for local businesses?
Unemployment in the Buffalo-Niagara region has been on the steady decline since it's pandemic-peak in April 2020. Last month's rate of three point two percent is the lowest ever recorded in December. County Executive Mark Poloncarz says our area actually needs "many more" workers to meet the job demand. & news spoke with a local staffing agency, AP Professionals and they agree.
Dawn Fletch at AP professionals says the pandemic changed the way people want to work and many are looking for remote opportunities. She explains, "Covid definitly changed the way everybody does business and what we are seeing right now is you still have people who don't want to go back to work. Maybe they're still afraid. A lot of people want to work remote." Fletch says many employees are choosing to live here In the Buffalo area but working remotely for companies as far away as California.
It's a problem that many of our local businesses have already noticed. In a Buffalo Niagara Partnership pulse survey from this past fall, employers' rate "finding and retaining qualified talent" as their top concern. The report found "three in four businesses" have open positions. 77-percent plan to hire new people this year as well.
