Congressman Gordon Comments on DeKalb County’s Current Economic Situation

With the statewide unemployment rate at a 22-year high, Tennessee’s Labor and Workforce Department announced that DeKalb County’s unemployment rate increased from 8.2% to 9.2% from the month of November to December.
“More than 100 people in DeKalb County alone lost their jobs in one month,” said Congressman Bart Gordon. “My heart goes out to each of these workers and their families. I have heard from a number of people who live in DeKalb, and we all share the concern that things are going to get a lot worse before the economy recovers.”
According to the preliminary statistics from Tennessee’s Labor and Workforce Department, 940 people are currently unemployed in DeKalb County. Many more people have either stopped looking or are underemployed. In November, the number of unemployed persons in the County was 835. These figures stand in stark contrast to the economic situation in December of 2007 when the unemployment rate was 5.0% in DeKalb County.
“We are at the defining moment in this economic crisis – if we don’t pass an Economic Recovery bill, the next two years are going to be painful for Middle Tennesseans and people across the country.”
Economists from across the political spectrum have stated that the current economic situation is likely to last for another two years unless strong action is taken. Many have indicated that unless the government intervenes, the nationwide unemployment rate could reach, and possibly exceed, 10%.
“It is about jobs, jobs, jobs – we must do everything we can to create more jobs in Tennessee and throughout the country,” added Gordon. “Last week, the House started the process of crafting an Economic Stimulus package. I am committed to working in a bipartisan way with my House and Senate colleagues, and the President, to ensure that the bill is improved. The final form should include a combination of tax cuts and smart spending initiatives that will effectively help to get our economy back on track.”
The House and Senate are working to pass a final draft of the Economic Stimulus package and have it ready for President Obama’s signature before President’s Day on February 16th.