The study shows Northeast Ohio has fewer high-tech recruits than it did five years ago, but today's workers are more productive. CSU researchers studied 21 counties stretching from Sandusky to Youngstown. They found a 13% decline in high-tech jobs from 2000 to 2005. But the output from high-tech industries rose nearly eight percent over the same period.
Nortech, a regional development group, commissioned the study to see how the high-tech sector fuels our economy. President Dorothy Baunach says overall industry growth also went up.
Dorothy Baunach: In 2005 our growth rate actually matched the national growth rate in those industries. What it's telling me is that we made a bit of a turn around. We're doing better we won't know how much better until we look at 2006 to make sure the trend kept upward.
About a fifth of all the high-tech jobs in the region are in Akron, where they account for 11% of all jobs. Nortech plans to have the 2006 findings ready by this summer. Tasha Flournoy 90.3.