Worst job-loss title fails to faze Trumbull chiefs

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Trumbull County may have experienced the most-severe job loss among the nation’s 334 largest counties between December 2008 and December 2009, but local officials say job prospects are improving.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced Wednesday that Trumbull County experienced a job loss of 8.6 percent, the worst percentage decline among the country’s largest counties as measured by 2008 annual average employment.

Nearly 54 percent of the employment decline occurred in manufacturing, which lost 3,504 jobs over the year, the report said.

“The outlook is much brighter,” said Mayor Michael O’Brien of Warren late Wednesday.

He is confident the job market will stabilize and perhaps improve in the near future, citing the jump in employment at the Severstal steel plant from 75 to 700 workers, the building of the Chevrolet Cruze at Lordstown, which will add a third shift of workers at the car plant, and the V&M Star expansion announcement that will create 400 temporary construction and perhaps 350 permanent jobs.

Employment opportunities also will grow over the next few years as the result of anticipated U.S. Department of Defense appropriations expected to be secured by U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Niles, D-17th, O’Brien said.

Eastern Gateway Community College and the tech-belt energy-innovation center also will grow jobs through the development of green technology, the mayor said.

“This shows that it is more important than ever that we get support from the governor and from the president to provide assistance to create jobs in Trumbull County so that we can keep folks here,” said Dan Polivka, a Trumbull County commissioner.

He agreed with O’Brien that the outlook is more optimistic.

“Hopefully in 2009-10, we’ll be one of the leaders instead of trailing the pack,” he added.

“During that period [Dec. 2008 to Dec. 2009], it was probably one of the most challenging times for our nation’s economy — we, Northern Ohio and Trumbull County, were not alone,” said state Sen. Capri Cafaro of Liberty, D-32nd.

“I think in the past year, some of those jobs have come back. We are seeing job growth in the manufacturing sector,” she said, also referring to the Severstal recall, the V&M expansion and the addition of a third shift at Lordstown.