The regional economy can now best be described as a mix of industrial, light manufacturing, high technology and service-oriented private sector companies. Instead of relying on a single industry or sector for its economic future, the region has taken a diversified approach that has created opportunities for growth and expansion in the 21st century.

Overall, employment in Buffalo has shifted as its population has declined and manufacturing has left. Buffalo’s 2005 unemployment rate of 6.6% was 32% higher than New York State’s 5.0% rate. And from the fourth quarter of 2005 to the fourth quarter of 2006, Erie County had no net job growth, ranking it 271st among the 326 largest counties in the country. Yet the area has recently seen an upswing in job growth as unemployment has dropped to only 4.9% in July 2007 from 5.2% in 2006 and 6.6% in 2005. The area’s manufacturing jobs have continued to show the largest losses in jobs with over 17,000 fewer than at the start of 2006. Yet other sectors of the economy have outdistanced manufacturing and are seeing large increases. Educational and health services added over 30,400 jobs in 2006 and over 20,500 jobs have been added in the professional and business (mostly finance) arena.

Private sector employment in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metro area increased by 1,700, or 0.4 percent, to 447,800, over the 12 months ending April 2008. Job gains were centered in professional and business services (+2,000), leisure and hospitality (+1,300), financial activities (+1,100), and trade, transportation and utilities (+700). Losses occurred in natural resources, mining and construction (-1,800) and manufacturing (-1,700).

A temporary work agency, or temp agency or temporary staffing firm finds and retains workers. Other companies, in need of short-term workers, contract with the temp agency to send temporary workers, or temps, on assignment to work at the other companies. Temporary employees are also used in work that has a cyclical nature that requires frequent adjustment of staffing levels.

Advantages to those seeking employment from a temp agency are:

* Easy hire: Those meeting technical requirements for the type of work are often virtually guaranteed a job without a selection process.
* Flexible hours; a choice of which shifts to work; the ability to take off for weekends, holidays, vacations, personal appointments, or for any other reason of choice, or to work on such days for additional pay
* Pay rates are often higher than the customary wages in a comparable permanent position
* The likelihood of getting fired is lower than in a permanent position, though a client of the agency can make a request for the temporary worker not to return, even for a minor infraction