The state recently announced it would be receiving an additional seven weeks of federal unemployment benefits for those individuals who have used up their entitlements.
In order to get the money, the state had to show just how bad joblessness is in Connecticut.
That was not a problem.
The Connecticut Department of Labor reported its latest unemployment numbers: 8.4 percent for September. Adding July”™s 7.8 percent and August”™s 8.1 percent, the average for the three consecutive months is 8.1 percent.
The federal monies come via High Extended Benefits (HEB). The only qualifier is that a state”™s total unemployment rate averages 8 percent or higher over three consecutive months.
More than $150 million in unemployment benefits is given state residents each month, Gov. Jodi Rell said.
That is a tremendous amount of money over a year”™s time. Imagine $1.8 billion being used to create more jobs. The state needs to concentrate on job growth by encouraging more investment here.
With a state budget that has relied on federal stimulus money and other one-shot revenue tricks to prop it up, we don”™t expect any foreseeable changes in the state economy.
The private sector needs to be more fully engaged by the state and not solely through outsourcing agency work. Investing in job creation is not out of the question and should be employed today through tax breaks.
Scale back the tax increases and fee hikes and cut state spending.
It”™s time to work smarter and operate leaner.
We should be driving investment in the business community, not driving away business.
