Bredesen Outlines Plan to put Nearly 300 People to Work in Perry County

LINDEN, Tenn. – Governor Phil Bredesen and members of his Cabinet today joined state and local leaders to outline a plan to reduce unemployment in Perry County by using federal dollars from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). The plan outlined by Bredesen will employ nearly 300 unemployed residents, potentially cutting unemployment in the county by to 40 percent.

 

Perry County has the state’s highest rate of unemployment – 25.4 percent – with 760 unemployed residents. The county’s unemployment rate was as high as 27.3 percent in January. The next highest rate of county unemployment is 18.8 percent.

 

“The jobs package we’re launching today will put people back to work immediately and begin to ease some of the strain caused by the economic downturn, which are key goals of President Obama’s recovery plan,” said Bredesen. “The effects of the economy are being felt across the state, but Perry County has been hit especially hard, and I’m glad the state can offer this assistance during these tough times.”

 

The 300 positions include government and private sector employment opportunities that will be funded by Recovery Act and other federal funds through September 2010. Compensation for these positions will range between minimum wage and $15.85 per hour, depending on the employer, type of job, education and training requirements. The positions already identified include the following:

 

·   50 highway maintenance workers, Department of Transportation

·   10 conservation workers, Department of Environment and Conservation

·   16 unemployment insurance interviewers, Department of Labor and Workforce Development

·    6 correction workers, Turney Correctional Center

·    200 private-sector positions within various Perry County-area employers, including Armstrong Pie Company, Commodore Hotel Linden and Perry County Nursing Home

 

In addition, up to 200 Perry County residents between the ages of 14 and 24 will be eligible for the Summer Youth Employment Program. The statewide program, also funded by Recovery Act dollars, provides summer employment and job training opportunities to low-income residents.

 

Perry County residents will be required to meet certain income and asset requirements to be eligible for most of these positions. Most jobs with state agencies will provide workers with access to state employee benefits. Workers employed by private companies will be eligible for benefits provided by those employers.

 

Consistent with the Governor’s emphasis on education, the program unveiled today includes a partnership with the Tennessee Board of Regents to provide unemployed residents of Perry County with access to one year of free tuition at Columbia State Community College (Clifton Campus), Nashville State Community College (Waverly Campus) or the Tennessee Technology Center at Hohenwald.

 

In addition, Bredesen announced the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development will partner with local officials to bolster Perry County’s long-term economic growth and planning efforts. The department has secured an economic development consultant with expertise in rural economic development to work with local officials to further their economic development plans.

 

“Bringing these jobs to Perry County will help address the immediate employment needs of people in this county, but access to continuing education and an emphasis on long-range planning will help build a solid foundation for economic growth and stability in the future,” Bredesen said.

 

Following today’s announcement, held at the Career Center in Perry County, residents began filling out applications and initiated the screening process for the available jobs. Some are expected to begin working in the new positions as early as next week.

 

Bredesen believes the plan outlined for Perry County can be a model to target high unemployment in other Tennessee counties.

 

“We’re starting this effort in Perry County, but I hope this approach will become a model we can use to help other Tennessee counties if they should experience similar spikes in unemployment until the economy recovers,” Bredesen said.

 

Perry County residents can apply for positions by visiting the Department of Human Services office in the Community Center in Linden, located at 113 Factory Street.

 

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