The federal government’s stimulus plan has hardly made a dent in the region’s job losses over the first nine months of the year, an analysis by The Associated Press shows.
The four counties in the Central Susquehanna Valley had 85 jobs created by stimulus spending, according to the government, at a time when the region lost 1,100 jobs because of factory closings and layoffs. All but 20 of those created jobs were in construction.
The AP reports that 16.72 stimulus jobs were created in Union County, with 12.72 of those in construction. In Northumberland County, 61.48 jobs were created, with 46.48 in construction and 15 in health care and social assistance. In Montour County, 6.77 construction jobs were created.
In Snyder County, the stimulus plan has created all of one job — under the category of professional, scientific and technical services. In Mifflin County, no jobs were created.
“I have not seen any benefit to the stimulus package so far,” said Snyder County Commissioner Joe Kantz. “That’s not to say it won’t happen.”
However, he said, it is no secret that he was not in favor of the stimulus package being passed.
“Just like a business cycle, the government has to start tightening their belt and cut spending,” he said. “The government has to either have the guts to raise taxes, or have the guts to say we’re not going to raise taxes and cut spending.”
From January through September, Snyder County lost 300 jobs. Just last week, 95 more layoffs occurred at the Wood-Mode factory in Kreamer. Two years ago, the company’s workforce was 2,000. It is now 1,200.
“Wouldn’t it make sense that if you could lower taxes to business owners, they are going to provide the jobs?” Kantz asked. “Government can never provide the jobs. They can create programs, but all that means is higher taxes. The private sector is where the jobs need to be created.”
The only jobs gained in Snyder County recently, Kantz said, have been service and retail jobs. Unfortunately, most of them don’t pay life-sustaining wages, he said.
Susquehanna University has received $4.5 million in stimulus money funneled through the state to help with both jobs and infrastructure.
The university has also applied for $1 million in federal stimulus money. According to Gerry Cohen, assistant vice president for communications, Susquehanna submitted a proposal to the National Science Foundation to redo an animal care facility and construct research space in one of the science facilities.
“We haven’t received any word yet,” Cohen said. “We’re expecting to hear any day now.”
He does not believe the one job created in Snyder County was at the university.
A created job under the stimulus package is defined as full-time equivalent employment to be performed for one year. The federal government reports that nearly 650,000 jobs have been created or saved under the $787 billion economic stimulus package.
The AP’s data regarding the number of jobs created reflects approximately $215 billion in federal grants, loans, contracts and pass-through money awarded to state and local governments, businesses, nonprofit organizations, universities and others from the law’s inception to Oct. 1.
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