Last updated on 2011.06.02
Keep your double-dip talk out of Lake County: we're adding jobs again! After a doldrummy fall and winter, Lake County saw unemployment drop from 5.5% in March to 4.7% in April. Jobs climbed 95, from 6205 to 6300; the number of people working or looking to do so increased 40 from 6570 to 6610.
That 4.7% unemployment rate is the lowest in Lake County since September 2010 (4.6% then). But if we look back, we find 6300 is the second lowest number of April jobs in Lake County in the last decade In April 2001, Lake County had 6460 jobs.
Remember, Madison's job creation goal, toward which generous donors contributed over $2 million dollars to the Lake Area Improvement Corporation, is 7065 jobs by the end of this year. 765 jobs in eight months... we're going to need more sales tax kickbacks!
Around the septa-county area, McCook and Moody counties were even bigger job creation champs in April. Both decreased their unemployment rates by 1.6 percentage points. McCook is down to 4.9%, while Moody is down to 5.5%.
Brookings County is back below 4% (3.9%, actually) for the first time since last November. Minnehaha dropped 0.7 percentage points to 4.9%. Kingsbury is down to 4.5%, and our Miner County friends creeped down to 5.3%
Unfortunately, except for a few jobs at Gehl overnights, those jobs barely pay a living wage. I agree with you Cory, LAIC needs to change its position and start looking for nonmanufacturing jobs. Madison should be a high tech mecca with the resource of DSU.
So, by creating a high tech mecca for the resources of DSU, Madison will flourish and suddenly rise up from what appears to be the start of an ash pile? Let's not lose sight of the fact that the resources of DSU have helped to vote in several sources of money drain, and those resources of DSU have since left and are paying taxes in some other community.
How about bringing in jobs that will help the residents that have stayed in the town despite the massive loss of jobs, despite the massive loss of shopping options, despite the massive gifts of money earmarked for an entity that appears to have no requirement to provide information on how the funds are spent, despite the increasing costs for electricity, groceries, gas, etc?
Yup, we need to cater to the resources of DSU so they can stick around for 12 months after graduating, then head off for greener grass.
In the meantime, all the families affected by Rapid Air, Rosco, ArticCat, Gehl, et al, have bupkiss for job opportunities, but get to pay more for less. Sounds like a winning formula to me.
Jim,
Don't know you, (at least not by just a single name) but as a 13 year resident of Madison and an employee of DSU I can tell you unequivocally that if there were high tech jobs in Madison, our graduates would love to stay. After spending their undergraduate years here, they want to stay. I was the same way as a NSU grad in 1976. I wanted to stay in Aberdeen but there was not the employment opportunity in my chosen career path at that time. Life goes on. I had to go where the work was. This is about creating opportunities for the next generation of leaders. Step up, let’s do this together as I can provide you with a skilled and educated work force that wants to call Madison home.
No, but the community has very few white collar jobs, or jobs that pay more than $8/hour. What I'm saying is that what they are doing isn't really working is it. I'm speaking as someone who just had to leave Madison because there were no jobs that would pay the bills.