Queens Drives Surge In City's Job Growth
A new report says the city added more than a quarter million new jobs over the past ten years, with the boroughs other than Manhattan leading the way. As Queens Reporter Ruschell Boone explains, it seems to be a case of the jobs going where the people are.Even in this down economy, it’s not uncommon to see “help wanted” signs along Linden Boulevard within the 11411 zip code in Cambria Heights. According to a new study, it's not hard to see why. Researchers at the Center for an Urban Future say employment in the area jumped more than 80 percent between 1997 and 2007.
“As the year passes by we're growing better. The neighborhood gets better. It's more attractive. It brings more business and more employees,” said liquor store manager George Rousseau.
Cambria Heights is not the only neighborhood to see a jump. Queens Village's 11427 zip code, and Ozone Park's 11416 code also spiked in the last decade along with other areas in the borough. The center says Queens had the greatest number of zip codes with employment growth in the city.
“Queens has 15 zip codes among the top 40 in percentage increase in jobs over the last 10 years,” said Jonathan Bowles of the Center for an Urban Future. “Neighborhoods that are not usually known as major job generators have been increasing significantly in the number of jobs.”
The center says Brooklyn was second among the boroughs with most job growth with nine zip codes in the top 40. Manhattan had seven, with Harlem showing the biggest increase of 98 percent growth. The Bronx had five; and Staten Island had four.
“All sorts of entrepreneurs have started businesses, national retailers have come into neighborhoods they previously weren't and that's created a lot of jobs,” said Bowles.
Some of the biggest job losses were in Lower Manhattan zip codes. More than 75,000 jobs lost since the September 11th attacks. But those were more than offset by increases elsewhere.
Even with the tragic collapse of the World Trade Center and the burst of the dot-com bubble, New York City overall has actually added more than 250,000 jobs over the last decade. Manhattan remains the real epicenter for jobs in New York, but the Boroughs have all become increasingly important engines of economic growth for the city.
One of the contributing factors according to researchers is the ever growing immigrant population.