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The facts are clear and not much in dispute that Chautauqua County has over the past few decades been experiencing population decline. Some of this is related to government policies (or lack thereof,) and some of it by the fact that we are not in a growth area of the country.
Since World War II, the air conditioner has made living and working in the South a viable option. Southern states also tend to have lower regulatory standards, and, as "right to work" states, employers in these states do not have as many labor issues to deal with.
The result has been a shift in population and manufacturing to the southern states. In the Buffalo-Niagara region of New York State, since COVID, there has been a reduction of 4,000 workers from the work force.
Population shift to the south is not the only reason. Birth rates have also declined, there are just fewer babies being born, and that means fewer workers for the work force.
I have seen in my own lifetime how much this has changed. When I was coming out of high school and college, couples were being married and having children in their early to mid-twenties. Now, they are waiting until their 30's to have kids. This means that instead of having four or five generations every one hundred years, we are having only three generations being born every hundred years.
This is not just an American phenomenon. Other countries, as they become more affluent, like China, are experiencing the same thing.
Fewer kids means fewer workers. There was an article recently in the paper about a shortage in the availability of school teachers. Other professions are facing the same thing.
My understanding is that many employers in Chautauqua County are experiencing this reduction in the labor pool. For example, large employers, like Cummins, are recruiting employees from as far away as Olean and beyond. There are just not enough workers close by to meet the demand.
If there is a "glimmer of light" in this whole matter, it is that with the availability of high-speed internet, some of our young people can now work at least partially from home. This means that though they may need to travel at times for their work, they still have enough time at home to raise and support a family here.
And, that comes back to where we live. As Marv Levy may have said (in a stretch:) "Where would you rather live than right here, right now?!"
I can't think of a better place to live and raise a family than right here in Chautauqua County. The schools are terrific, athletic opportunities are everywhere, the out-of-doors is just around the corner, and there are no traffic jams!
Okay, winters can be a little tough--but even that can be a plus if you like skiing, ice fishing or snowmobiling.
Around here, you can afford to go to a baseball game, choose from a plethora of good golf courses, go fishing on the lake, or take in a concert or lecture at Chautauqua--all within a few minutes' drive of your house.
We probably can't change the demographics so that young people will go back to having five generations of kids every hundred years. But, living here is an easy sell when it comes to the beauty, simplicity, educational opportunity and culture that we have. That is our drawing card.
Rolland Kidder is a Stow resident.