Labor chief: Stimulus funds a major factor in state’s recovery

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/stories/2009/05/07/stimulus_georgia_jobs.html

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GEORGIA

Labor chief: Stimulus funds a major factor in state’s recovery
Money will give big boost to water, energy projects

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Thursday, May 07, 2009

Though federal stimulus money won’t solve all of Georgia’s problems, one agency is getting a major boost in financing water and energy projects.

Georgia Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond said Wednesday that federal stimulus money will pay huge dividends in Georgia’s economic recovery — but that won’t happen unless the state takes steps to retrain its work force.

This is because the nearly 6 million U.S. jobs that have gone away since December likely aren’t coming back when the economy turns around, Thurmond said at a media briefing on tracking Georgia’s stimulus dollars. What’s more, it may take until 2010 until the state sees significant job creation.

Even if the economy pulls out of the tank in the latter part of this year, unemployment rates may still climb for another six to 12 months, he said.

“You just can’t listen to what economists say about economic recovery,” Thurmond said. “In some ways, it’s counter-intuitive.”

Meanwhile, federal stimulus money going to the Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority has increased its ability to help finance water and energy projects tenfold.

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