BUFFALO, NY – In new research released today, the Buffalo Branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York finds that upstate New York’s population loss is not due to an unusually large number of educated workers leaving the region; rather, it stems from an unusually low rate of educated workers moving in.
Branch Chief Economist Richard Deitz explores this topic in the latest issue of Upstate New York At-a-Glance, A Brain Drain or an Insufficient Brain Gain? ››
Upstate New York’s weak population and labor force growth in recent years has raised concerns about a loss of educated workers. While the region has seen a net outflow of college-educated people, Deitz finds that the loss of population actually reflects a low rate of people moving in, rather than an unusually high rate of people moving out.
"The nation’s workforce is naturally mobile, and educated workers often move around to pursue their best job opportunities. Population loss occurs when more people move out of a region than move in," explains Deitz. "In upstate New York, we find that the rate at which people are leaving the area is typical compared with other states; however, no state has as low a rate of educated workers moving in as upstate New York."
Upstate New York At-a-Glance offers a brief look at issues that affect the regional economy.
This and other publications, as well as more information about the Buffalo Branch, its research, and activities, can be found at the Branch’s website.
As the upstate presence of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Buffalo Branch promotes regional vitality by providing economic intelligence and analysis to inform and enable decision-makers to advance better outcomes for the upstate New York economy.
A Brain Drain or an Insufficient Brain Gain? ››
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