Seattle mayor credits jobs programs for city’s recovery
Oct 17, 2012, 11:50 AM | Updated: 1:10 pm
Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn claims his job-creating program, Seattle Jobs Plan is paying dividends and the city is recovering from the recession faster than most of the country.
“We lost something around 35,000 jobs. I’ve been told we’ve regained about 24,000. That’s the good news; we are recovering, we are adding jobs.”
In an August report, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics claims Seattle is fourth in the U.S. for job growth this year.
“Nationwide, jobs grew 3.1 percent. If we look in the Seattle-metropolitan area, jobs grew 6.6 percent. We’re growing faster than the nation as a whole here in our region.”
The mayor credits city investments in job programs, business district initiatives, construction projects, and education partnerships for the job growth.
Looking ahead, the mayor’s Seattle Jobs Plan, launched two years ago, focuses on investing in capital projects like the seawall and streetcar, attracting people to neighborhoods like Yesler Terrace, supporting the growth of manufacturing and maritime industries, and building a new North of Downtown substation.
KIRO Radio reporter Tim Haeck contributed to this story.
