ITHACA, N.Y. -- Do New Yorkers understand New York politics? Fuhgeddaboutit.

More than 70 percent of New York state residents feel that Albany's politics are too complicated to understand, according to this year's 2004 New York State Empire Poll of state residents, conducted by the Survey Research Institute at Cornell University.

According to the poll, New Yorkers feel that employment is the top problem facing the state. However, the state economy and education also are seen as leading problems.

In answering questions about mobility, about 25 percent of those polled said they were planning to leave their community within the next five years. More than half of this number (or 13 percent of the total) said they plan to leave New York state altogether.

More members of middle- or higher-income households than of lower-income households said they are planning to leave the state.

Among the "undecideds" on the relocation question, the fewest were those in middle-income households. "Declining employment in many traditionally middle-income occupations in the state may be sending people to look for greater opportunities elsewhere," explains Lou Jean Fleron, Cornell extension educator in industrial and labor relations.

According to the poll, New York state residents hold positive views about technology, believing that it improves their quality of life and economic productivity. However, 45 percent said their current jobs do not adequately employ their skills and abilities.

About 72 percent of employed New Yorkers said they would change jobs to better use their talents, a statistic Fleron calls "stunning." She says, "Combined with persistent job shortages, this picture suggests a ceiling of opportunity in New York that may have consequences for retaining a creative, highly skilled workforce."

The primary goal of the poll is to provide an annual portrait of New York state's social, economic, political and workplace trends. The researchers conducted 820 interviews during the spring of 2004. The margin of error is 3.5 percent. Complete poll results are available at: http://www.ilr.cornell.edu/depts/SurveyFacility/ .

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EDITORS: A presentation about the poll will be made for area business and labor leaders on Monday, Dec. 13, at CornellÕs Industrial and Labor Relations Extension Office in New York City at 16 East 34th Street (sixth floor ) at 8:30 a.m. Reporters and photographers are invited to cover the presentation. A continental breakfast will be served. Contact: Katie Briggs at (212) 340-7931 if you plan to attend.