Residents of the Mid-Hudson Valley are generally dissatisfied with the quality of jobs in the region. Almost one-quarter describes them as poor and about one-third considers the quality of jobs to be only fair.
Overall, residents’ perceptions of the employment options available in their community are unchanged from 2002.
There are some differences in opinion at the county level. For instance, Sullivan County residents are particularly dissatisfied with the quality of jobs in their community. 77% rate the quality of the jobs in their area as fair or poor. In fact, 42% of Sullivan County residents specifically say local jobs are of poor quality.
72% of Greene County residents do not give the quality of
jobs in their community a favorable rating either.In fact, 34% of Greene County residents describe
the quality of jobs as poor.Despite
Greene County residents’ dismal assessments, these figures actually reflect a
slight improvement in their opinions since 2002.Five years ago, nearly four in five county residents,
79%, rated jobs in the community where they live as fair or poor.
Residents in the other five counties are less dissatisfied but still do not rate the quality of jobs positively. About two-thirds of residents of Ulster and Columbia Counties describe the jobs available in their community as either fair or poor. A majority of residents in Orange and Dutchess Counties share this less than satisfactory view of the jobs available in their areas.
Residents of Putnam County evenly divide in their assessments: 48% describe the jobs available locally in positive terms, and 48% do not rate them highly.
The views of those living at the lower end of the economic spectrum are striking. 71% of residents with a household income of less than $15,000 a year believe the quality of jobs in the region is either fair or poor. About two-thirds of residents who have received public assistance at some point in the past year and residents who are unemployed but looking for work do not rate the quality of jobs favorably.
Mid-Hudson Valley residents over the age of forty-five are considerably less satisfied with the quality of available jobs than younger residents.
Residents who plan to leave the Mid-Hudson Valley in the next few years are also more dissatisfied with the quality of jobs in the area than those who plan to stay.
