Business services and leisure and hospitality lead the way among sectors that have added more workers recently
By Deborah Jeanne Sergeant
The New York Department of Labor states that “private sector jobs in the Syracuse metro area rose over the year by 3,700, or 1.5%, to 253,300 in February 2024 as the economy continues to expand.
Job gains occurred in professional and business services, leisure and hospitality, private educational and health services, trade, transportation and utilities and financial activities. Job losses occurred in manufacturing, information, and mining, logging and construction. The government job count rose over the year (+1,900), with growth concentrated in local government education.”
Elvis Mehmedovic, franchise owner of Express Employment Professionals in Syracuse, views the trend as bearing both positive and negative effects.
“It’s positive on the workforce for higher demand and higher positions being available,” he said. “Some are more technical, but there’s general supervisory role expansions. It’s good for the workforce as higher paying jobs are available.”
But for employers, it’s hard finding workers with the right skills unless they’re willing to pay high enough rates and offer good benefits. With inflation already stretching company budgets, paying more is tough.
Mehmedovic added that employers who treat their workers right will find they have few problems with both attracting and keeping talent, as workers want to work for companies that provide good work-life balance.
As Micron prepares to expand to CNY, many skilled laborer jobs are expected to open as the site will require extensive infrastructure.
“Entry level hiring is probably the most difficult fill at the moment,” he said. “General labor and entry-level jobs definitely have been harder to find. There are still people who aren’t working who don’t seem to be looking.”
Technology has made inroads in filling roles such as automated customer service phone lines replacing live operators and robots performing tasks like delivering supplies in hospitals. But Mehmedovic thinks that retail employers will eventually eschew automation — the self-checkout stands — as theft has soured retailers’ visions of lower payroll.
Hiring in nearly all roles continues to represent a major struggle to healthcare employers. Deb Turner, co-owner of Seniors Helping Seniors in Deansboro, said that her business model is especially challenging as her company attracts retirees to serve as home companions to older adults.
“We always are looking for kind, compassionate seniors,” Turner said. “Our model always was, look for someone with the heart of a volunteer, although they do get compensated for their time.”
Though it can be difficult to find workers, Turner said that her company’s turnover is very low, except that as in many segments of healthcare, her employees age out. In some cases, they become clients, which she calls “the best recommendation.”
Any kind of employment that involves travel is tough to fill, as many job seekers want remote work. But some hands-on work includes more travel than typical, such as home health.
“I serve a very big territory, all of Oswego, Cayuga, Onondaga, Madison, and Oneida counties,” Turner said. “We’ve got to have caregivers in as many little pockets as we can. We try to keep them within five to 10 miles of their home. It’s always that challenge.”
