OBSERVER Photo The Athenex site off Route 5 in the town of Dunkirk has been full of activity in recent weeks.

Maybe the 50-year population exodus of residents from upstate has finally caught up with the region’s job market. A look at unemployment rates in Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties reveals fewer people are working but the percentage is going down when compared to last year.

According to the most recent state Labor Department statistics from August, there were 85,200 workers in the two-county region — 1,400 less than August 2017. Still, the unemployment rate decreased 1 percent to 4.5 percent here and by 0.7 percent to 4.2 percent in Cattaraugus County over the last 12 months.

That dwindling work force issue must be front and center for the area’s elected officials and educators. On the fringe of the city of Dunkirk’s eastern border, there is reason for excitement. Athenex, which seemed too good to be true when Gov. Andrew Cuomo made the inaugural announcement in 2016, has become a reality as land has been cleared and impressive steel beams can be seen from Route 5.Once completed, a potential 900 jobs await — 450 at the plant with another 450 as economic spinoff. So, that begs the big question: where will the people come from to fill these positions?

If you ask many local businesses — even County Executive George Borrello can attest — good-paying jobs in manufacturing are going unfilled. Borrello, for his first four months in office, built relationships with businesses large and small from Irving to Ripley and Falconer. His biggest finding was something of a surprise: these shops need skilled workers.

Today, hiring signs can be seen at almost every area restaurant, service provider and even at the Dunkirk Specialty Steel plant along Brigham Road in Dunkirk.

It was not too long ago that Carriage House and Petri, both of which provided some 550 full- and part-time positions in Dunkirk, Fredonia and Silver Creek, shut their doors. When those positions were eliminated in spring 2015, some were able to find work here while others either moved or left the work force all together.

Those blue-collar workers were the backbone of our region. They had an excellent work ethic that seems to be missing.

Too often today, employers tell stories of hiring someone who shows up for a couple of days then is never heard from again. Or, even worse, an excellent candidate who walks in the door for an interview and fails a basic test.

It is not just here, it also happens across the 23rd Congressional District that runs from Chautauqua County to just outside of Binghamton. “Corning (Inc.) executives tell me, and they are a 21st century company … that they have difficulty hiring people in this area because they can’t pass drug tests,” said Tracy Mitrano this week in a conference call with area media.

Mitrano, who is facing off against incumbent U.S. Rep. Tom Reed, says health care and jobs are two of the most important issues she hears about when meeting with constituents. Mitrano, who was greeted by 200 in Silver Creek late last month, will be in Fredonia on Saturday at the Grange Hall on Main Street from 3 to 5 p.m.

Making an issue over the lack of jobs in the district could be a tough sell, just looking at the numbers. Two of the counties in District 23 — Yates and Ontario — are among 11 with the lowest unemployment rates in the state. In addition, there is a sentiment that some who are not in the work force are abusing benefits they receive from state and federal governments.

Where Mitrano makes a much better case with voters is on the health care issue, which Congressional Republicans will continue to fight, as well as the new federal tax code — backed by Reed — that puts an unfair burden on state residents with the $10,000 cap as a deduction in state and local property taxes.

Mitrano notes that tax plan does not bode well for future development here. “Our taxes are very high. … In New York state they’ll hit (that $10,000 threshold) immediately,” she said.

Those taxes, which are among the highest in the nation, have created the population issue in this county that leads to a lack of qualified and willing workers. Though strides have been made, particularly in the P-TECH program with about 100 students annually based in Dunkirk, there’s an urgency being faced in the north county.

When Athenex arrives, will there be workers to fill those positions?

John D’Agostino is the OBSERVER publisher. Send comments to jdagostino@observertoday.com or call 366-3000, ext. 401.