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The Safari Guide
Upstate New York Cities Can Crow - Instead of Eating It
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A
recent article over at MSN lists the top 10 job areas for hiring and the
top 20 cities to find jobs. It should
come as no surprise that healthcare is statistically the most in-demand
field. In many cities around the U.S., nursing students often have jobs
waiting for them six months before they graduate.
In fact, none
of the most in-demand fields are surprising. There is absolutely nothing
revolutionary on that list. Healthcare is at the top of the list because A)
U.S. citizens are growing obese at an alarming rate; and B) Americans are
skewing older, and as such, more people need more healthcare. What may
shock some, however, is the cities showing up on the top 20 best places to
land a gig. Sure, seeing
Jackson, TN and a few Florida cities would be expected. Ditto with Phoenix
and Tucson, AZ. The two most
shocking cities to see on this list are both located in Upstate New York:
Binghamton and Utica. Why? Even in
the Upstate region, Binghamton and Utica have long been viewed as second-rate
cities. Binghamton's
claim to fame? Twighlight Zone creator Rod Serling went to school
there. Utica? The birth place of Mousekateer Annette Funachello. Of course,
Utica also lays claim to having the largest 15-K foot race in the world, The Boiler Maker. The point,
here, is that even perpetual underdogs can succeed. It may take a long time,
but with the right community involvement and the right political leadership,
towns can - and do - bounce back. Binghamton,
for instance, suffered greatly when the Cold War ended. The largest employer
in the region at that time was a defense contractor. When the Soviet Union split and
the Berlin Wall came down,
the contractor packed its bags. Since then, one could almost see tumbleweeds
blowing through the Southern Tier. Utica, on the
other hand, has always had a nose-to-the-grindstone, blue collar mentality.
It also has had a reputation (justifiably or not) as one of the most unsafe
small towns in New York State. Now, however, both cities are shining. |
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