Labor Day 2008 offers reasons for hope in the Valley

Labor Day 2008 offers reasons for hope in the Valley

As with many other holidays that give many Americans a paid day off from work, the meaning of Labor Day often is obscured. The holiday’s intent to honor American workers easily gets lost amid fun-filled outings to mark the end of summer, campaign rallies to mark the start of the election season or frenzied back-to-school shopping.

Here in the Mahoning Valley, gone are the many parades and ceremonies trumpeting the achievements of labor in the region. In recent years and decades, many here have found little to celebrate, what with the shrinking work force, the closing of plants, the downsizing of companies, the declining influence of labor unions and the stagnation of wages.

Sensing a change

But this year, even amid a national economic slowdown, fears of recession and increasing unemployment, signs have begun to emerge that indicate the Mahoning Valley may be turning a corner toward a brighter employment climate.

A glance at last week’s employment reports for the Youngstown-Warren-Boardman metropolitan area from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reveals several optimistic trends. The Valley’s employed labor force has grown by some 7,000 since February 2008 to 263,200 workers. Employment levels have grown in such areas as construction, financial services, educational and health services and, yes, even manufacturing.

Key developments in the region in recent weeks and recent months have directly or indirectly contributed to the slight uptick in our labor standing.

Most prominent among them is the addition of 1,400 jobs at the sprawling General Motors Lordstown Complex last month to meet soaring demand for the plant’s hot-selling Chevrolet Cobalt and to prepare for production of the ultra-fuel efficient Cruze in coming years.

Other positive signs include the commitment of Russian-based Severstal to purchase, invest in and expand operations at the former WCI Steel in Warren, the Valley’s largest surviving steel mill. Severstal Warren vows its intent on securing a future for the plant and its 1,300 workers.

Furthermore, the recent opening in downtown Youngstown of the Taft Technology Center, home of the world-revered Turning Technologies, ongoing expansion of the Youngstown Business Incubator and plans for a similar incubator in Warren prove the Mahoning Valley is no longer foreign to high-tech labor initiatives.

Many challenges remain

But lest we be accused of viewing our labor trends through rose-colored glasses, clearly many challenges remain toward rebuilding a more robust working economy in the Youngstown area. Unemployment rates here continue to be above national and state averages, particularly in Youngstown where the July rate hit an unacceptably high level of nearly 10 percent. Unemployment fuels many other social ills, not the least of which is poverty. It is not surprising then that Youngstown’s poverty rate now stands at an intolerable 32 percent.

That’s why officials cannot let down their guards and cannot let the recent spate of positive labor developments blind us to the myriad struggles that remain.

We must continue to chip away at unemployment. We must continue to work to attract 21st century industries to the Valley. We must continue to develop brownfields and fill our numerous industrial parks with still more viable small businesses and industries.

As General Motors’ ongoing $500 million investment in its Valley factory shows, our region is blessed with a strong, hard-working and conscientious work force. The Regional Chamber and other economic development agencies in the Valley must spread that good news to potential employers while debunking many of the negative myths about our region that continue to work against maximizing our potential.