Voter enrollment across Western New York has been on the incline and reached a high of 92% in 2007, according to the updated 3.10 Voter Enrollment and Turnout indicator. However, fewer than half the region’s registered voters actually turned out at the polls.
Indicator updates to the State of the Region Economy section show that while job growth in the binational region has been positive in recent years, regional gains have not kept pace with statewide or national job growth; weekly wage growth is also significantly behind state averages (1.1 Job Growth, 1.2 Weekly Earnings). Also, the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area remains a competitive place for businesses, with total costs about 6% above the national average, due in part to relatively low employee wages and bargain-priced office rents (1.4 Cost of Doing Business).
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Buffalo Niagara's Economic Forecast
Knowledge to thrive in the years ahead. |