Rochester Leads Job Growth, Buffalo Falls Behind
By: Caroline Tucker
Updated: September 21, 2012
Rochester is leading in private sector job growth.
Compared to all other upstate New York cities, it surpasses them all.
According to the New York State Labor Department, Rochester gained 8,400 jobs between August 2011 and August 2012.
Syracuse earned 2,900, Albany 4,700, and Buffalo just 200 new jobs.
People who are getting these jobs include those like Benjamin Bryant, 23.
This year he landed a job at Stamper Technology in Gates.
The company manufacturers pieces called stampers that will help duplicate dvd's and cd's.
"I am a very technical person, I built my first computer when I was 7 years old. [I have] lots of knowledge by myself, that along with all of the training I went through, I think it prepared me quite well for the position," said Benjamin Bryant, a recent hire at Stamper Technology.
Bryant is one of three people the company hired this year.
It's a company that started in 2007 with two people and has grown to 7.
The extra jobs came after owner Bruce Ha bought out a Canadian company.
"Once I bought company I brought all equipment back to Rochester and I was able to acquire more customers from Canada," said Ha.
Ha said the extra equipment meant he needed more employees.
The New York State Labor Department says this kind of growth is on the uptick across Rochester.
"We have experience solid job growth and something sustainable and build on that in coming months," said Tammy Marino, associate economist with the New York State Labor Department.
The job increases have included profession and technical services, health care, and construction.
Manufacturing dropped a bit because of Kodak layoffs.
Ha is a former Kodak worker who took technology he learned there to build his company.
He says small businesses are the future to capture local talent.
"If we do not create jobs they will leave to other parts of the country and Rochester will be left in a shell," said Ha.
Local economists predict more growth in the coming year.
Stamper Technology hopes to add up to 20 jobs in the next 5 years because of projects it is working on involving research and development for other uses for the stampers.
