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WEBVTT THE NEW RANKINGS PUT BALTIMOREIN THE BOTTOM 15% OF CITIES WHEN-- 150 CITIES WHEN IT COMES TOBEST PLACES FOR JOBS.BEST ON THE LIST IS SCOTTSDALE,ARIZONA.NEARBY WASHINGTON IS AT 23, NEWYORK IS AT 101, AND BALTIMORE ISAT 127.THE RANKINGS WEIGH COST OFLIVING, UNEMPLOYMENT RATES, ANDLACK OF OPPORTUNITY.OVER THE PAST 40 YEARS,BALTIMORE HAS SEEN A STEADY LOSSOF JOBS, ACCORDING TO STATEDATA.IN 1969, THERE WERE 540,701 JOBSIN THE CITY.BY 2014, THE NUMBER OF JOBS HADDROPPED TO 399,363.>> IS THE ANSWER SOMEWHERE INTHE POLITICAL PROCESS?I DON'T THINK SO.JAYNE: STEVE ISBERG TEACHESFINANCE AT THE UNIVERSITY OFBALTIMORE.>> I THINK THE REAL ANSWER ISFINDING A WAY TO GET PRIVATEMONEY TO DEVELOP AN INTEREST INTHE AREA.JAYNE: LIKE OTHER CITIES,BALTIMORE LOST IT'S HEAVYMANUFACTURUING BASE.ITS GM PLANT WAS TORN DOWN.IT LATER BECAME A BANKINGCENTER, BUT THAT'S DIMINISHEDTOO.EXAMPLE, A BIG BUILDING ONCEUSED BY BANK OF AMERICA IS NOWBEING CONVERTED TO APARTMENTS.ISBERG SAYS THE BIG CHALLENGEFOR ATTRACTING NEW EMPLOYERS ANDINDUSTRY TO BALTIMORE, THE LACKOF A SKILLED WORKFORCE.>> THERE'S ONE LOCAL BUSINESSTHAT DEVELOPED SOME VERYSPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT THATNEEDED PERIODIC MAINTENANCE INORDER TO FUNCTION.THERE WAS ABSOLUTELY NO GROUP OFWORKERS OUT THERE WHO WERE READYTO OPERATE AND MAINTAIN THOSESYSTEMS. JAYNE: ISBERG POINTS TO PORTCOVINGTON AS AN EXAMPLE OF NEWINVESTMENT, BUT NOTES THECRITICISM.WILL IT WIDEN THE CITY'S DIVIDE?>> WHAT YOU'RE SEEING INBALTIMORE NOW VERY SIMILAR TOWHAT YOU' RE SEEING IN VIRTUALLYTHE ENTIRE COUNTRY.YOU ARE SEEING A SEPARATION, ADIVIDE.WE HAVE A DIVIDED ECONOMY, WEHAVE A DIVIIDED CULTURE, ADIVIDED SOCIETY, AND THERE'S ANAWFUL LOT OF THAT DIVISIONWITHIN BALTIMORE.JAYNE: AS BALTIMORE LOSTMANUFACTURING JOBS, IT BECAMEINCREASINGLY DEPENDENT ONSERVICE INDUSTRY JOBS.THE PROBLEM, THOSE JOBS PAY

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A new national ranking out Wednesday puts Baltimore in a troubling spot as one of the worst cities in the country for jobs. The ranking underlines the challenge for the city how to attract new employers? Employment and opportunity are seen as key solutions to other problems -- poverty, crime, substance abuse, but economists said the divide we see on the country is getting worse in the city, too. The new rankings put Baltimore in the bottom 15 percent of cities when it comes to best places for jobs. Scottsdale, Arizona, is best on the list, nearby Washington, D.C., is at 23, New York is at 101 and Baltimore is at 127. The rankings weigh cost of living, unemployment rates and lack of opportunity. Over the past 40 years, Baltimore has seen a steady loss of jobs, according to state data. In 1969, there were 540,701 jobs in the city. By 2014, the number of jobs had dropped to 399,363. "Is the answer somewhere in the political process? I don't think so," said Steve Isberg, who teaches finance at the University of Baltimore. I think the real answer is finding a way to get private money to develop an interest in the area." Like other cities, Baltimore lost its heavy manufacturing base. Its GM plant was torn down. It later became a banking center, but that's diminished, too. Example: a big building once used by bank of America is now being converted to apartments. Isberg said the big challenge for attracting new employers and industry to Baltimore is the lack of a skilled workforce. "There's one local business that developed some very specialized equipment that needed periodic maintenance in order to function. There was absolutely no group of workers out there who were ready to operate and maintain those systems," Isberg said. Isberg points to Port Covington as an example of new investment, but noted the criticism will it widen the city's divide. "What you're seeing in Baltimore now very similar to what you're seeing in virtually the entire country. You are seeing a separation, a divide. We have a divided economy. We have a divided culture, a divided society, and there's an awful lot of that division within Baltimore," Isberg said.