There are countless reasons for our slow journey to economic recovery. A recent LTE to the Hartford Courant sent by our Executive Director highlights one that we see as being especially crucial for reviving Connecticut’s sputtering economy is burdensome regulation. We argue that updating and reforming our regulatory system will encourage businesses to invest in our communities again.

We will be watching as the president speaks to the nation during his upcoming annual State of the Union Address. We hope that he will once again call for regulatory reform as a way to foster growth and innovation in America and that Connecticut will follow his lead. We believe it is essential that we cut the regulatory red tape if we want to see progress in America and in New England.

Recently, Jobs for New England Now posted several blogs. Using the Internet for Profit One Note at a Time, encourages New Englanders to use technology to create new and innovative businesses. Growth continues…slowly, details the slow economic recovery taking place in New England. Steady Drop in Unemployment is a Pleasant Surprise, encourages innovation and cooperation in the New England economy in order to continue to see economic growth, stability and a drop in the unemployment rate.

Here are a few recent news stories:

The Hartford Courant: NSTAR Rush A Merger Application To CT Regulators - Northeast Utilities and NSTAR wasted no time seeking Connecticut approval for their planned merger Thursday, submitting an application one day after regulators decided the utility companies needed state approval to consummate the deal. The companies repeated their claim that the deal will benefit consumers in their petition to the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority — directly addressing the suddenly sensitive issue of storm recovery.

Boston Harold: Mass. jobless rate dips to 6.8 percent in December – Massachusetts employers cut 6,200 jobs last month but the state’s unemployment rate still fell again last month to 6.8 percent. The jobless rate dropped from an even 7 percent in November, the lowest monthly rate since December 2008 and below the national rate of 8.5 percent, the state Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said today. The job estimates and unemployment rate can go in different directions because they are based on separate surveys of employers and households, respectively

Boston Herald: Gone with the Wind? – State and city officials hope a proposed $16 million Vestas research facility in Marlboro won’t just blow away after learning yesterday the Danish wind turbine maker would lay off 182 U.S. and Canadian workers, with the possibility of another 1,600 U.S. manufacturing jobs on the chopping block this year.

Stratford Patch New Stratford Economic Development Website to Launch Soon – A new town website aimed at attracting business to Stratford will launch in early February. The project is more than a year in the making but has matured rapidly over the last month, according to Dave Lostracco, an Internet marketing consultant hired by the town to spearhead the website.

Thankfully, it seems that unemployment rates are dropping throughout the nation. The same seems to be true for Massachusetts. A recent article from Wicked Local reported that unemploment rates had dropped significantly from 2010 averages and that even the lull of the winter months haven’t had much of an impact on the unemployment rate, which typically increases during the off season. The state average now sits at about six percent.

If we want to continue to see economic growth and stability flourish throughout Massachusetts and New England as a whole, it will be vitally important that we encourage new investors to come to our region. This means that we need businesses that can create jobs, legislators and workers to be in constant communication. Together we can work to mend our recovering economy. It is going to take hard work and innovative thinking to see progress, but in the end it will definitely be worth it.