Jobs for New England Now

HBJ: State In Tight Spot On Jobs

admin — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:51:57 +0000

From today’s Hartford Business Journal: Connecticut’s sour economy is presenting a rare opportunity for making the state’s regulatory environment more business friendly. As part of their economic development strategies, both Democrats and Republicans say they want to streamline the permitting process across state agencies and remove or alter regulations that are duplicative, outdated, or in some cases overbearing to businesses. To see the full story, click here.

Connecticut Ranks 5th-Worst In Funding Pensions

admin — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 20:51:56 +0000

From this morning’s Hartford Courant: ”Connecticut ranks as the fifth-worst state in the nation in funding pensions for its state employees, and the problem is growing worse, according to a national study to be released today.” To see the full story, click here!

One-man wrecking crew

admin — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 20:18:20 +0000

Republican-American

As Democrats lined up in hopes of succeeding departing Republican Gov. M. Jodi Rell, and Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd’s past misdeeds and record of corruption rendered his re-election prospects hopeless, attention focused on Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. Popular and widely viewed as an honest public servant, he seemed preordained to win any job he wanted. More>

Obama Lays Out Small Business Plan in New England

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 22:05:14 +0000

Today, President Barack Obama held a town hall meeting in Nashua, New Hampshire where he outlined the new Small Business Lending Fund. The Small Business Lending Fund will transfer $30 billion from the Troubled Asset Relief Program to a new program that will support small business lending. The Small Business Lending Fund will be targeted at community and smaller banks that lend the most to small businesses, and offer incentives for banks to increase small business lending.

To see the full press release from the White House, click here.

To see the relevant fact sheets click here.

State Senators Lay Out Blueprints For Creating Jobs

admin — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:23:00 +0000

The Hartford Courant

When unemployment is higher than it’s been in 30 years, politicians are eager — even desperate — to show they have the answers. Jobs plans, as a result, are flying fast and furious now that President Barack Obama has weighed in, campaigns are taking shape, and the state legislative session is set to open Wednesday. more>

Building a Better Connecticut Doesn’t Start with New Taxes

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 21:48:05 +0000

In today’s CT Confidential, Rick Green blogs about the business climate in Connecticut, and laments that the cost of living in the state is driving people away. Finding “revenue” with new taxes isn’t going to do anything to solve our state’s problems, and in striving to make Connecticut a better place to run a business, the effort shouldn’t start with a call to raise taxes.

Green attended a forum on housing and the economy in Hartford yesterday, sponsored by the Partnership for Strong Communities, a group working to build partnerships between nonprofit housing groups and the business community. The event was also attended by two gubernatorial candidates — Mary Glassman and Oz Griebel. Most notably, several business voices in Connecticut lamented the state’s loss of jobs, educated workers and investment.

Connecticut should be working to create a business environment that will foster growth, development and investment in new business, a good first step on the road to economic recovery.

The full post is available here.

Let’s Not Start The Discussion With Raising Taxes

admin — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 19:14:01 +0000

Rick Green’s CT Confidential

At a Capitol presentation on the upcoming budget this week by Connecticut Voices for Children, I heard an audience member loudly comment that higher taxes are our charitable obligation. More>

Warning Sign: Connecticut is losing residents

admin — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 20:32:22 +0000

From the Meriden Record Journal: Connecticut has seen a steady outbound migration for several years, especially among 18- to 34-year-olds. But the exodus continued to add all ages, including retirees, at the start of the recession two years ago. … A recently released study by Atlas Van Lines on 2009 migration trends reports that Connecticut had the highest percentage of moves out of state. Out of 2,031 shipments related to the state last year, 1,230 were outbound, or 60.5 percent, with the 801 inbound shipments comprising 39 percent.

Bad Month Caps Bad Year for Jobs

admin — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:16:23 +0000

From the Danbury News Times: While much of the ills of the economy have been blamed on the financial sector, it was in the state’s factories where the most pain was seen.

Manufacturing in Connecticut lost 15,700 jobs in 2009.

Survey: Half of Eastern Connecticut’s businesses downsized

admin — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 19:44:36 +0000

From the Norwich Bulletin: The high cost of doing business in the state and rising health care expenses have caused nearly half of Eastern Connecticut businesses to downsize during the recession, according to a survey released today.

The 2010 Survey of Eastern Connecticut Businesses also indicates that nearly half the businesses in the region also have reduced employee wages and benefits.

To see the full article and comments from JNEN’s co-chair, Tony Sheridan, click here.