Recovery Act has created or retained 44,000 jobs in State
Governor Jim Doyle recently recognized successes of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act in Wisconsin on the first anniversary of President Obama signing the legislation. The Recovery Act has been credited with creating or retaining more than 44,000 jobs in Wisconsin.
“In the past year, the Recovery Act has helped every state, including Wisconsin, deal with the most difficult national economic times since the Great Depression, while paving the way for future economic growth,” Governor Doyle said. “Because of the Recovery Act, we have created and retained thousands of jobs in communities throughout Wisconsin from police officers, firefighters and teachers to construction workers. The Recovery Act also helped us avoid major cuts in state funding for education and health care. I would like to thank President Obama and our Congressional Delegation, particularly Congressman Dave Obey, for their leadership on this important issue.”
Since the program was created, Wisconsin has overseen nearly $982 million in Recovery Act expenditures. Major projects in Wisconsin have included road construction projects, major water infrastructure, and a new high speed rail line that will create thousands of jobs and benefit the state’s economy for generations. Under Governor Doyle’s leadership, Wisconsin is also the only state to direct 100 percent of the Recovery Act’s state energy funds to help the state’s largest manufacturers find savings through energy efficiency and create jobs.
Since taking office in 2003, Governor Doyle has worked aggressively to create and retain jobs in Wisconsin. Governor Doyle’s budget last year created some of the strongest economic development tools in the nation to help businesses create jobs and get people back to work. Wisconsin now has powerful new tax credits to help manufacturers create and retain jobs, new tools to help investors create start-ups, and new incentives to spur research and development.
“Because of these new economic development tools, we have seen business success stories like Mercury Marine, Republic Airways, ULINE and many more, but there is more work to be done,” Governor Doyle said. “I will do everything I can to help our businesses create jobs and give our workers the opportunities to get those jobs. Nothing is more important.”
Governor Doyle has laid out plans to continue building the state economy and creating jobs, including passing the Clean Energy Jobs Act to create 15,000 jobs in the emerging clean energy economy; creating the Wisconsin Green to Gold Fund to help manufacturers reduce energy costs and create and retain jobs; and passing the CORE Jobs Act to strengthen successful programs for manufacturing, research and development, and worker training.