Talent
The Greater Rochester, NY region is developing and attracting exceptional talent.
Photo by Kurt Brownell
Looking for a Highly Skilled Workforce? Look No Further.
Greater Rochester, NY is one of the most productive regions in the country, ranking among the top five major metros for STEM degrees according to the latest U.S. Department of Education reports. Our workforce outperforms regions three times our size. With cancer-preventing vaccines, fuel-cell prototypes, technology that’s supporting missions to Mars, and Rochester’s talent & mind-boggling intelligence rankings, it’s no wonder our region thrives in attracting talent and innovative businesses.
Source: US Dept of Education
Photo credit: J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester
18
Colleges and Universities
71k
Students Enrolled
17k
Degrees Awarded Each Year
1st
For Degrees in Engineering, Engineering-Related Technologies, and Technicians
1st
For Degrees in Physical Sciences
Top 5
Major Metro for STEM Degrees
Top 10
Major Metro for Computing and Information Sciences, Mathematics, Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Source: National Center for Education Statistics (Fall 2022 – Spring 2023) Per capita data among metros with more than 1 million residents
Productive Workplaces are Innovative Workplaces
Productivity Drivers Identified by Local Employers
High-Quality Labor
Photo credit: J. Adam Fenster / University of Rochester
High Employee Retention
Low Absenteeism
Short Commutes
The diverse talent in the Greater Rochester, NY region positions companies to create a collaborative workforce to advance innovation and competitiveness. Local employers share a commitment to create inclusive environments to build more pathways to prosperity. Their recruitment, hiring, and development practices result in some of the nation’s best workplaces for diversity.1
1Wegmans, Fortune magazine’s 100 Best Workplaces for Diversity; Rochester Regional Health, HealthCare Diversity Organization Award, Healthcare Diversity Council
Why Companies are growing in the Greater Rochester, NY Region
Creating a Strong Foundation for Exceptional Employees
Rochester’s emphasis on higher education ensures a technically sophisticated and skilled workforce that attracts top-tier talent. New companies take advantage of exceptional local talent while enjoying low labor, land and real estate costs. All these factors, combined with an exceptional quality of life, give the Greater Rochester, NY Region a location advantage over competing U.S. metro areas.
| EMPLOYER RATINGS ON LABOR QUALITY | (1= POOR, 5 = EXCELLENT) |
| Labor Quality | Average Score |
|---|---|
| Willingness to work overtime | 4.3 |
| Work Ethic | 4.3 |
| Productivity compared to that or company’s other sites | 4.2 |
| Productivity | 4.2 |
| Punctuality | 4.0 |
TOP RANKINGS
Learn More About the Greater Rochester, NY Region’s Impressive Top Rankings
Relevant Documents
We keep and maintain and are investing specifically in Rochester because that is where the talent is. We do not succeed without the right talent.
David Velasquez
Vice President and General Manager, Corning Advanced Optics
You know your business.
We know Greater Rochester.
Let’s team up.
Photo by John Kucko
Thank You To Our Investors
High tech companies know Rochester as the optics mecca in the United States.
Matt Sydor
Vice President, Sales and Compliance, Sydor Optics
At Toyota Material Handling North America, which is comprised of two main group companies – Toyota Material Handling and The Raymond Corporation – we are committed to leading the way in energy innovation. We believe that the Greater Rochester, NY region shares that commitment, and is the ideal location to establish our cutting-edge energy storage and fuel cell development center.”
Jennifer Lupo
Vice President of Energy Solutions, Supply Chain, and Leasing, The Raymond Corporation
Rochester has a great work base. They’re loyal. They’re smart. They’re well educated and they want to succeed.
Jim Continenza
Executive Chairman and CEO, Eastman Kodak
We keep and maintain and are investing specifically in Rochester because that is where the talent is. We don’t succeed without the right talent.
David Velasquez
Vice President and General Manager, Corning Incorporated
Rochester has the manufacturing capability, testing capability, and intellectual horsepower.
Matt Fronk
Past Chairman, NY BEST
Rochester has a deep talent pool around all of the things that we need to do to commercialize advanced materials for the energy economy.
Ben Britton
Co-Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Ionomr
The decision to expand locally was a relatively easy one for CooperVision. The Rochester area has provided so many of the elements necessary for a successful operation.
Jerry Warner
President, CooperVision
The proximity to top colleges and industry-leading companies, in addition to the quality of life in Western New York, made the decision to open our second office in Rochester an easy one.
Mike Pinch
Director, Security Risk Advisors
“Rochester is world famous for precision optics manufacturing and photonics.”
Jennifer Cable
President, Thorlabs
We have a long history of people skilled in aerospace technology and precision optical assembly. We take advantage of the industrial base in the Rochester area. We also take advantage of the skill sets developed by our local technical institutions like MCC, RIT, or the University of Rochester.”
Tony Whitman
Cryogenic Optical Test Director for James Webb Space Telescope, L3 Harris
We have inherited an exceptional quality of life thanks to an impressive cluster of cultural organizations, unparalleled natural resources, and a resilient and welcoming spirit of community.
David Munson
President, Rochester Insititute of Technology
Once people get here and their families get used to short commute times, low home prices, the fact we have all kinds of recreational sporting activities, the quality of schools, they don’t want to leave.
Arunas Chesonis
CEO and Chairman, Sweetwater Energy
Rochester has provided ID Signsystems with the ability to grow and develop by tapping into the region’s large pool of design-focused talent, technicians, engineers and sign makers.
Paul Dudley
President, ID Signsystems
Our network of local universities, colleges, and optics companies has created a workforce pipeline that is unmatched anywhere in the United States.
Joseph Spilman
CEO, Optimax
GRE’s direction and guidance proved to be well worth our investment. Their passion to make the business environment in the Rochester area greater is very apparent.
Scott MacCaull
Workplace Interiors
There is unlimited, untapped technical talent in the area and I hope we start a wave of other companies moving to Rochester.
Austin McChord
Founder, Datto
Rochester has a long history of being a hub for telecommunications. There is a rich ecosystem of talent and services to support business growth.
Jai Ramachandran
Founder and CEO, Wire3
Rochester is the perfect size city to get business done. I’m always one connection away from anything I’m looking for.
Zack Phillips
President, Kink BMX
We have access to talent graduating from our businesses and technical institutions capable of perpetuating our success for years to come.
Marc Iacona
President & CEO, Simcona Electronics
The Rochester region provided convenient access to both railroads and major highways, as well as proximity to Barilla’s customer base in the Northeast.
Fabio Pettenati
Vice President of Supply Chain, Barilla America
We’re excited about this area. There’s high-quality milk in the region. There’s a lot of top talent. The industry, the innovation, the technical experience , the work ethic is all attractive to us.
Phil LaMothe
Vice President of Manufacturing, fairlife
The country is starting to recognize Rochester as a technical city outside of just software. We have optics and manufacturing that’s exceeding most of the baselines around the country.
Craig Lamb
Co-owner, Envative
Rochester has the resources optics companies need to transform their concepts into reality.
Dr. Duncan T. Moore
Vice Provost for Entrepreneurship and Professor of Optical Engineering
Rochester has a great base of intellectual capital in the science and technology fields at local businesses and universities.
Daniel J. Burns
Area Executive for Upstate NY, Western NY, and Pennsylvania, M&T Bank Corporation
We’ve developed vaccines to prevent cervical cancer right here in Rochester.
Peter Robinson
Vice President and COO, University of Rochester Medical Center
Among many great options, none could match Rochester in terms of talent, local supplier networks, and opportunities to partner with top-tier research institutions.
Andy Marsh
CEO, Plug Power