Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Contact: Jessica Robinson, 573-751-0290
Missouri Receives Accolades for Job Growth, Economic Development
JEFFERSON CITY–Southern Business and Development magazine gave Missouri and Gov. Matt Blunt high marks for job growth and economic development in its current issue ranking the top 100 corporate and industrial job and investment announcements in the South in 2006.
"We appreciate that opinion leaders around the country are recognizing that Missouri is a great place to do business," Blunt said. "Our pro-jobs, pro-growth initiatives have helped Missourians create tens of thousands of jobs since January 2005, driven unemployment rates down and grown the incomes of hard-working Missouri families. We have enacted job-creating legislation including tax relief, lawsuit reform, workers compensation reform, the Quality Jobs Act and other important initiatives to help create family-supporting jobs and enhance opportunities for all Missourians."
In what the magazine called "Missouri's best year yet," the state received an honorable mention and a second place finish among 17 southern states it follows. Adding that "change is in the wind," the magazine also said it was "very impressed with what Gov. Matt Blunt has done…"
Southern Business and Development based the rankings on the number of corporate and industrial job and investment announcements they successfully attract that feature 200 or more jobs and/or $30 million or more in investment.
Rankings are broken down into mega markets, major markets, mid-markets, small markets and micro markets. St. Louis, Kansas City, St. Joseph and Cape Girardeau received recognition within their respective categories for economic development in their communities.
Missourians have created nearly 90,000 jobs since January 2005. To learn more about the survey, visit www.sb-d.com.