Mahoning, Shenango valleys continue to lose population

YOUNGSTOWN — The five-county Mahoning and Shenango valleys lost close to 20,000 of its population over a six-year period.

And the decline in the area will continue because of limited employment opportunities for younger, educated people, said Thomas Finnerty, associate director of Youngstown State University’s Center for Urban and Regional Studies.

“To put it bluntly, it’s all about jobs,” he said. “We’re not providing jobs to people. You need a job to stay in a place. There’s [not enough] jobs for the educated work force. We educate people and then they leave.”

For the complete story, see Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com.