The majority of residents feel their community needs to do more to improve jobs. 54% of Mid-Hudson Valley residents believe their community allocates too few resources toward improving jobs in the region. Only a little over one-third believes community spending toward this goal is about right.
Again, not much has changed since 2002 when half of all residents disapproved of the amount of resources being directed toward improving the quality of local jobs.
There are noteworthy differences by county on this issue. Residents of Sullivan County are the most dissatisfied with the amount of resources their community allocates toward improving jobs. 69% say not enough resources are being expended. More than six in ten residents of Columbia, Greene and Ulster Counties share this view as do a majority of Orange County residents.
In Dutchess County, just under half of all residents, 48%, thinks their community spends too little on improving jobs although a large proportion, 42%, thinks the level of funding is about right. Residents of Putnam County divide. 44% believe too little is being spent to improve jobs in the area, and 43% think local efforts are about right.
African Americans and Latino residents are more critical of the level of funding toward improving the quality of jobs than white residents. A similar pattern was evident five years ago, as well. Although fewer African Americans are concerned about the resources allocated to improving jobs now than in 2002, most still feel more effort should be expended.
Households with low income and residents between the ages of forty-five and sixty are also more critical than most Mid-Hudson Valley residents about the amount of money being directed toward improving the quality of jobs in their community.
