Morning Read: Better times in 2012?
A panel of experts convened by the Watertown-North Country chamber of commerce says 2012 could bring strong economic growth for the region. That’s according to the Watertown Daily Times.
Based on a survey conducted by CenterState Corp. that included 140 business executives in 12 counties, Mr. [Robert] Simpson said about 80 percent reported they expect to end the year with more employees than they have now. Unemployment numbers in the north country are expected to drop across the board.
“We’re expecting to see increased hiring throughout 2012,” he said, “and we’re already starting to see signs of that. In the last two months I’ve had conversations with five significant business owners in the north country whose primary concern is the availability of the work force.”
One area of concern is Canadian tourism. A stronger US dollar could crimp the number of visitors traveling south.
Tags: economy
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Well, according to the just released unemployment rates for December, Hamilton County is back up to 10%, the same rate it had last December.
But forget about Hamilton County for a moment and consider the problem everyone is facing worldwide.
What happened back in 2007 and 2008 was not a recession so much as it was a realization by businesses and governments that they were employing more people than they needed or could afford.
This has been brewing for years and is being caused by two realities no one wants to confront. While automation and computerization have been combining to limit the need for employees on the low end and to some extent even on the high end, the growth in the worlds population means more people are looking for jobs at a time when they simply are not needed.
No business is going to hire people simply because people are out of work.
Hamilton County does not have a growing population problem but it is being confronted as much of the North Country is by the shrinking of the need for manual labor. Gone are the days of mining and logging when their was a need simply for bodies to do the hard work. Even in parts of the country where there is manufacturing, those jobs require fewer workers and the workers required need more than just a strong back.
The world has changed and will continue to change whether anyone likes it or not.
St. Lawrence county also went up to 10% unemployment last month.
I am not sure what a “good” unemployment rate means in the North Country though?