Syracuse, New York: a reflection of the national economy

The major theme is to determine whether jobs created in the Syracuse metropolitan area have the same earnings as the jobs that have been lost, principally in manufacturing. There is a controversy about whether the economic restructuring that has taken place in recent years has harmed living standards. Bluestone and Harrison have recently argued that restructuring has harmed living standards in the US, and that our society has become increasingly polarized as income shifts from middle income to those in the highest income quintile. While data on individuals are not available, this analysis can examine whether average earnings in the three-county Syracuse area have declined as a result of economic restructuring or whether the jobs created in Syracuse are at least as good as the jobs that are lost. -from Author