N.C. Jobs Numbers Continue Downward Spiral

Perdue in Denial: “We were in tough times… We have fought our way out.”

Raleigh, N.C. – The North Carolina Employment Security Commission reported that the statewide unemployment rate increased to 11 percent in October today.  “Since this time last year, the number of unemployed workers in the state has increased by more than 174,000.”  (“N.C. unemployment rises to 11 percent,” .biz, 11/20/09)

This week, Governor Perdue told education officials meeting in Greensboro that though she forced them to cut $225 million from their budgets this year, she was more hopeful about the state’s economy going forward.  She said, “We were in tough times then. We have fought our way out.”  (“Economy better but hurting, Perdue says,” Winston-Salem Journal, 11/17/09)  Though she admitted that unemployment could still rise, Governor Perdue offered no plan for bringing more jobs to North Carolina.

Senate Republican Leader Phil Berger (R-Rockingham) made the following statement:

“Though Governor Perdue claims to have fought out of hard times, the people of North Carolina know that is an unrealistic assessment of the current situation and that the ongoing pain of job loss is still being felt by all too many.  The Governor’s $990 million in tax increases, her cuts to education, and Democratic policies that are hostile to business have moved North Carolina in the wrong direction on job creation.  Taxpayers in our state want the Governor to stop fighting them and start fighting for them.  The people of North Carolina need jobs, not political grandstanding and misleading rhetoric.”

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