See full story and survey results A survey conducted for Finger Lakes Wired indicates that the economy has improved since 2004 and that hiring prospects are good throughout the region in a variety of industries. “This is good news,” said Matthew Hurlbutt, Managing Director of Finger Lakes Wired. “The results clearly show that individuals with key skills can find employment in the region.”The picture looks good for the near future. Employers we surveyed project a six percent increase in employment a year from now totaling 72,993 over current employment totaling 68,763.” Mike Hockenberger, President & CEO, Precision Grinding and Manufacturing, says, “The survey validates that there is growth in manufacturing in the region, something that we in industry have known for some time. Presently, we are struggling to fill positions.” Francine Miller, HR Manager at Paychex, Inc., is optimistic about hiring this year. In the last several years the locally-based payroll and human resource services provider has had at least a six percent growth in hiring company-wide year over year. She feels the company is on course to do the same in the year to come. “We have positions available and we have openings at various levels from entry level to more experienced positions,” Miller said. Some of those openings range from customer service, call center and inside sales jobs to more specialized positions such as IT, quality assurance, development, software testing, and accounting and finance related jobs. “In general the Rochester talent pool is fairly lucrative for us for most of the positions we hire,” Miller said. The survey was conducted for Finger Lakes Wired in May by the Rochester Business Alliance (RBA). It was a follow-up to the 2004 regional study by the RBA reported at the 2004 RochesterWorks! Workforce Summit. One hundred sixty five employers representing a broad cross-section of industries were surveyed. Eight-five percent of respondents were located in Monroe County. Manufacturing was the largest single industry represented (43%) in the study. “The survey gives us essential information on current openings in the region and direct feedback from employers regarding the skills of current applicants,” added Hurlbutt. “That information helps us better assist businesses with their recruitment and training efforts to support economic growth.” See full story and survey results