Job Creation
States sweeten their offers to chipmakers in competition for jobs
HILLSBORO, Ore. — “Oregon’s been at this for decades,” the governor’s office assures potential investors in its so-called Silicon Forest. The Lone Star State’s governor calls it a “race that Texas must win for our state, our workforce, our national security, and our future.” And New York’s governor boasts on the state’s YouTube channel that […]
Selling Manufacturing to a New Generation
Chris Ronsman, a junior at Green Bay West High School in Wisconsin, works at a manual lathe turning down a piece of aluminum round stock. Employers in many states are trying to encourage students to consider careers in manufacturing. (Green Bay West High School) Follow on Twitter Manufacturers across the United States are targeting schools […]
State Governments Look to Entrepreneurs for Creativity, Efficiency
Assembly member Ian Calderon (second from left) wants California to have a state entrepreneur-in-residence program. Some cities and states are seeking the advice of entrepreneurs. (AP) Follow on Twitter Entrepreneurs in government? The idea may sound like an oxymoron to government bashers. Yet a move is on to bring successful entrepreneurs into state agencies, city […]
Balancing Privacy, Jobs in Drone Debate
University of North Dakota aviation student Logan Lass lifts a lightweight drone used in training at the school’s unmanned aircraft program. North Dakota has no laws governing drones; other states are trying to regulate them. (AP) Most states are wrestling with how to restrict the nascent domestic drone industry. North Dakota is embracing it. North […]
Experts Debate Whether Tax Cuts Tax Breaks Work
Two experts agreed Tuesday that tax rates are part of the consideration when people and companies move from one state to another, but they were light years apart on just how much those tax rates influence location decisions. Joseph Henchman, vice president of legal and state projects at the anti-tax group Tax Foundation, argued that “incentives […]
Aerospace Manufacturing Takes Off in Southern States
Workers assemble Boeing 787s in the company’s North Carolina plant. The company’s decision to locate in North Charleston has increased aerospace jobs in the state by 600 percent since 2007. Other Southern states have also lured aviation companies. (AP) The South is home to auto giants Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Nissan Motor Co. It is increasingly […]
Governors Pitch Novel Tactics to Create Jobs
Nurse practitioners Michele Knappe, left, and Julie Zimmer go over a patient’s chart at Ingalls Family Care Center in Flossmoor, Ill. The need for health care workers is expected to surge in the next decade, and several governors are pushing proposals designed to attract more qualified applicants. (AP) As the U.S. economy gains strength and […]
States Risk Losing Millions of Federal Work-Share Dollars
Workers like these at ESCO Corp. last year participated in a work-share program that prevented layoffs at the Portland-based company, which makes parts for oil and gas industries. The U.S. government is giving states $100 million for work-share. (Credit: ESCO Corp.) State legislatures must act this year or possibly lose their share of $100 million […]
Nine States Still Have High Unemployment
Nine states and the District of Columbia had jobless rates measurably higher than the national 6.7 percent unemployment rate in December. Rhode Island leads the country with the highest unemployment rate, at 9.1 percent, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Tuesday. Following Rhode Island are: Nevada at 8.8 percent, Illinois 8.6 percent, Michigan 8.4 […]
Which States Will Generate Jobs in 2014?
After four years of a fragile and uneven recovery, the U.S. job machine is likely to kick into high gear in 2014. Even recession-battered states such as Arizona and Florida are expected to generate jobs at a healthier clip. Overall, the U.S. economy is projected to generate 2.6 million jobs in 2014 year, up from […]
Thanks JFK: States Gained from Space Program
Caption President John F. Kennedy visits Cape Canaveral, Fla. on Nov. 16, 1963 to review the progress of the space program. (AP Photo/NASA via John F. Kennedy Library and Museum) As the Minotaur 1 rocket launched from Virginia and Maryland’s spaceport Tuesday night, it provided a subtle reminder of President John F. Kennedy’s legacy. It […]
Veterans Day 2013
Origins in Armistice Day “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given […]