New Jobs and Lower Income

A fundamental shift occurred in the Mid-Hudson Valley’s employment composition between 2008 and 2017. Many high-paying jobs that had anchored the middle class in the past disappeared, and more than 12,000 new jobs were created, many of which cannot sustain the cost of living in the Mid-Hudson Valley. A review of New York State Department of Labor data shows that 16,352 jobs were lost in industries with an average annual wage of more than $50,000 from 2008-2017. There were 1,564 jobs added in other high paying sectors with average annual wages of $50,000 or more during the same period. The bulk of the new jobs (95%) were in industries with an average annual wage of less than $50,000, and 25% were in industries with average annual wages between $20,000 and $30,000.