In New York State, where economic growth has been sluggish for much of the last decade, the rural economy has done relatively well. The population and labor force in rural areas are expanding, and the number of jobs growing. We take a look at this robust rural economy, examining population and...

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...

We analyze the restructuring of the manufacturing workforce over the past two decades by investigating how the occupational distribution of workers has changed. We identify important regional differences in the nature and degree of this restructuring, and give particular attention to New York...

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...

The June 6 conference "Manufacturing Matters" was sponsored by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Buffalo Branch in conjunction with the Western New York Technology Development Center and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership's Manufacturers Council.

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...

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...

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...

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...

We assess the prominence of the IT industry in New York State. We calculate the concentration of IT industry jobs in the state relative to the nation and identify the IT businesses that figure most importantly in new York's large metropolitan areas.