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Best Place to Start Over No. 16: Rochester, N.Y., MSA
Employers planning to increase hiring in Q4: 19 percent
Unemployment rate: 7.5 percent
YOY change unemployment rate: -0.3 percentage points
YOY change in number of jobs: -4,400 (-0.9 percent)
If you love Cool Whip, the Rochester area is the place to go: All the frozen Cool Whip in the world is produced by the 440 employees in Kraft's plant in Avon, N.Y., according to Kraft. Fortunately, the Rochester area's diverse economy offers more than dessert toppings. The area has 18 colleges and universities, three hospital systems, optics companies including Bausch & Lomb and CooperVision, as well as food and beverage companies such as Constellation Brands, Seneca Foods, Mott's, and Kraft. According to Greater Rochester Enterprise, an economic development organization, the area also aims to attract startups in alternative energy, including biofuels, fuel cells, solar, and wind.
