— There was a certain irony to the timing of two stories you read recently on our front pages.

On July 20, we helped announce a new promotional effort that will play off the work ethic often associated with our region. The effort, led by Johnstown Area Regional Industries, has this theme: “Hard Work Still Works Here” – which is true.

Three days later, we reported that Johnstown finished near the bottom in a national ranking of earnings across various areas of employment.

The National Compensation Survey put the Greater Johnstown region in next-to-last place among 77 it studied, and our area ranked well below the mean in every employment category – from construction and sales to management and administration.

So what does it all mean?

Certainly, wage opportunities rank high on the list of factors folks consider when pondering where to live and work.

Income isn’t the only factor to consider, but people generally look for the best income situations.

The term “brain drain” is often overused when describing young people leaving a community for opportunities in other places. Sometimes, there is more green to be had elsewhere.

And sometimes the process works in reverse.

Bob Layo, president and CEO of the Greater Johnstown/Cambria County Chamber of Commerce, pointed to the Johnstown region’s relatively low cost of living compared with other communities on the wage survey, and he’s right.

Many goods – including real estate – are more affordable in Johnstown than in places such as San Francisco, Boston, Seattle and New York City.

“I think it makes a huge difference,” Layo said.

We wish our area had the highest wages and lowest cost of living in the country. But you can’t have everything.

And – like JARI and the companies working on the regional marketing plan – we also celebrate the hardworking people of the area.

In the wake of the February death of powerful Congressman John Murtha, folks are rightly concerned about the future of Johnstown and the Cambria-Somerset region.

“We decided it was a good time to reinforce some of the positive things about this area,” JARI President Linda Thomson said.

Our region’s many attributes – including a low cost of living – should serve us well as we work together to attract new business and create jobs, which were Murtha priorities and continue to be critical locally.

Yes, hard work is a hallmark of the Johnstown region. The tradition goes back to the earliest days of our mining and steelmaking roots, and continues today.

Sometimes we need to be reminded of the positives around us, including our shared work ethic and such community assets as hiking and biking trails, music and entertainment options, amateur and professional sports.

And, yes, a low cost of living.

So what happens next?

Ultimately, if the “Hard Work Still Works Here” message is limited to our region, then we’ve simply made ourselves feel a bit less unsettled about our future.

We look forward to seeing that message expanded to other areas such as Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, Washington, D.C., and New York – and into other regions of the country.

Companies looking for places to move or grow do need to know that Johnstown is a place where they will find a determined and dedicated work force.

And workers considering coming to this region to accept jobs need to know that this is a great place to live, work, raise a family and – eventually – retire.

And, who knows? Maybe with that approach we can see those salaries inch upward as we grow our community and build for the future.