Recession won’t let go of local economy

The recession is keeping its bite on the local and national economy.

New federal statistics show unemployment claims jumped more than expected last week and home construction fell to a record low in December.

The Mahoning Valley has been hurt by both job losses and a lack of construction, officials said.

“It’s not a pretty picture out there,” said Bert Cene, executive director of the Mahoning and Columbiana Training Association.

People are flooding into area One-Stop agencies looking for work or retraining, Cene said. Visits to the offices are up 50 percent compared with a year ago.

For more information, see Friday’s Vindicator or www.vindy.com.