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Survey: Some Jobs Unfilled Due To Lack Of Skills

 Downtown Rochester skyline view.
Max Schulte
/
WXXI News
Downtown Rochester skyline view.

A new survey of business owners in the Rochester region shows they are generally optimistic about the business climate locally, but they have some concern about the future.

One of the concerns expressed in a survey done by MCC, the Center for Governmental Research and the Rochester Business Journal has to do with what is called a 'skills gap.'  Officials say the are a number of open positions in this area, especially in certain types of manufacturing and machining, but not enough people with the skills needed to take those jobs.

That's according to Kent Gardner, who  is Chief Economist for C-G-R.

“In our survey it was principally the smaller companies that aren’t able to find the people to find the positions that they have. They’d like to fill the need with a skilled individual, and they can’t find anyone who has the necessary skills. “

Another aspect of the survey where business owners expressed mixed feelings was health care.  Gardner says the survey shows that many of those polled feel the Rochester area has excellent health care quality, but at the same time they are concerned about the cost, and that, Gardner says, is a sentiment likely felt in communities across the country.

Randy Gorbman is WXXI's director of news and public affairs. Randy manages the day-to-day operations of WXXI News on radio, television, and online.