Jobs For Connecticut Now

This morning, the Hartford Courant’s “Today’s Buzz” posted an online poll asking readers to vote on whether the state is meddling in business or doing its job. As of this afternoon, 81% of those who had voted said that the state is “meddling” in business affairs. Of those responses, 47.7% said that this worsens the business climate, while the other 33.3% said that the state can’t manage its own affairs and should leave businesses alone. This is unsurprising, given the state of the Connecticut economy and jobs market.

As we’ve mentioned before, there’s no time like the present for policymakers in Connecticut to take steps to reverse the trend of businesses leaving the state. Just last week, Pratt & Whitney, the state’s largest private employer, announced that it would cut 1,000 jobs in the state; not long after, Attorney General Blumenthal launched an attack on AT&T for announcing plans to relocate 75 jobs. What Blumenthal didn’t acknowledge is that the company also plans to fill more than 100 jobs across the New England region, and is holding job fairs in several states.

For too long, Connecticut has failed to make the business environment more conducive to job creation and retention. If Connecticut is going to encourage businesses to keep their doors open, policymakers must act immediately to implement measures that reward businesses for creating jobs and make the region more attractive to businesses. Now is the time for state leaders to take steps towards making our region more business friendly, promoting job growth, and implementing measures that will incentivize businesses to open their doors in Connecticut.