Economy
2021 Sales Tax Improves in Tompkins and Schuyler Counties
(Mike Petrucci / Unsplash) ITHACA, NY — Across New York State, 2021 local government sales tax revenue is up by 21 percent on average. That’s compared to sales tax revenue generated between January and July of 2020. Tompkins and Schuyler Counties are a bit above that 21 percent state average. Tompkins County has seen a…
Read MoreConverting CO2 to Jet Fuel, Ithaca Area Economic Development Invests in Green Tech Startup
Dimensional Energy’s solar-to-fuels reactor in Gillette, Wyoming (Dimensional Energy) ITHACA, NY — Ithaca Area Economic Development, or IAED, is investing in the startup company, Dimensional Energy. They aim to convert atmospheric carbon dioxide into jet fuel through what’s known as “artificial photosynthesis.” Artificial photosynthesis aims to do what plants and bacteria have been doing for…
Read MoreOffices Remain Vacant as Tompkins County Economy Recovers from COVID
Empty Office Space (Sergei Wing / Unsplash) ITHACA, NY — The Tompkins County Legislature heard a presentation on the county’s economic recovery from COVID at their July 6th meeting. It came from Heather McDaniels, president of Ithaca Area Economic Development. McDaniels identified several areas that would require additional support to recover from the effects of the…
Read MoreTompkins Workforce NY May Help Pay for Your Job Training
Welding (Unsplash) TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY — Tompkins Workforce NY is paying people to get training for in demand jobs. In this program, a person can receive up to $5000 dollars from Tompkins Workforce NY. Up to $3000 is available for tuition, and up to $2000 for costs like transportation and books. There is a list…
Read MoreNew York Outdoor Seating Extension is Just a Silver Lining for Restaurants
People Outside of Viva Taqueria & Cantina on Aurora Street in Ithaca (Jimmy Jordan/WRFI) ITHACA, NY — New York state has extended the order allowing restaurants to more easily operate on municipal sidewalks and closed streets. That order was considered a lifeline for an industry hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic when it was initially issued…
Read MoreCost of Living is Up, but the Living Wage in Tompkins County Stagnates. Why? Federal Healthcare Subsidies.
(Unsplash) TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY — The Living Wage in Tompkins County went down by 5 cents, from $15.37 to $15.32. The reason being: new Federal subsidies for health insurance. Although, those subsidies are temporary. Tompkins County’s Living Wage is calculated every two years by Alternatives Federal Credit Union. Alternatives calculates a Living Wage for their…
Read MoreNext Steps for Tompkins County’s Workforce After the Pandemic
Workers in a Singaporean shipyard disembark a gas vessel during a planned fire drill. (Unsplash) TOMPKINS COUNTY, NY — The pandemic is slowing down, and there are a lot of different strategies to help businesses and the overall economy recover in Tompkins County. Natalie Branosky is the Director of Tompkins County’s Workforce Development Board. On June…
Read MoreChildcare is Key For Women and Families as NY’s Economy Recovers from the COVID Recession
The Institute for Women’s Policy Research ranked New York 8th among states in 2019 for the number of women entering managerial and professional occupations. (Adobe Stock) ALBANY, NY (PNS) — Before the pandemic, more women were in the workforce than ever before, and new research ranks New York state fifth in the country for women’s…
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