Virginia Rebounding From Job Losses

Both state and local governments have a common goal to create new jobs to put more Virginians back to work. Now, there are a number of signs pointing to that goal becoming a reality.

Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling serves as Virginia's Chief Jobs Creation Officer. "We've got a lot of work to do to help get Virginians back to work," he said.

Bolling says so far, Governor Bob McDonnell's Jobs and Opportunity Agenda has been successful in closing more than 140 economic development deals in the state, including Polymer Group Incorporated's (PGI) expansion in Waynesboro.  The agenda has also created more than 8,000 new jobs.

However, Bolling says there's still plenty of work to be done. "We've got to be patient and we've got to be persistent. We're coming out of the worst recession in 60 years," he said.

But the commonwealth isn't the only one taking action. The Albemarle County Board of Supervisors is searching for new ways to make the county more business friendly. "What we did this year was make sure that people know we are open for business and a business-friendly community. We're trying to attract some good economic vitality," said Albemarle County Supervisor Ken Boyd.

Supervisors are working with local businesses to take steps toward bringing more "career ladder" jobs to the county. Boyd said, "We've got a lot of people who make a lot of money and an awful lot of people below the poverty line. We're trying to fill in that gap in between and create a good place for people to find jobs here."

Boyd says he's optimistic that businesses and industries will want to move to or expand in the county soon. It's a job economic development directors across the commonwealth are taking seriously to rebound from the recession.

Bolling said, "This will continue to be the top priority for Governor McDonnell and me for the next three and a half years."

Bolling says 75-to-80 percent of the nation's jobs are created by small business owners, and he believes small businesses will play a big part in job creation for the commonwealth.