May 2, 2012
REP. ROJAS JOINS SEN. LEBEAU TO FORM
MANUFACTURING CAUCUS IN LEGISLATURE
Rep. Jason Rojas joined Sen. Gary D. LeBeau (D-East Hartford) and other legislators Wednesday to form the Manufacturing Caucus to promote manufacturing and advanced manufacturing public policy in the state.
The founding members said the Manufacturing Caucus will examine and promote policies to help Connecticut manufacturers find trained and educated workers, operate on a level playing field with their competitors nation-wide and world-wide, and obtain the capital they need to thrive.
“Manufacturing is a critical industry in our state economy,” Rep. Rojas said. “It is also an industry in which we face stiff competition globally and domestically. For too long we have taken our manufacturing community for granted. We have often been reactionary when developing policy. This caucus, with input from industry professionals, can be more proactive in developing policy that supports growth in our manufacturing sector.”
“We’re looking forward to hosting briefings and roundtable discussions with industry experts, disseminating information, and providing resources so that the legislature can learn about the challenges and opportunities facing Connecticut’s various manufacturing sectors. We should examine every bill that we see through the lens of its impact on manufacturing,” Sen. LeBeau said.
The formation of the caucus comes as Connecticut is experiencing its lowest unemployment rate in three years and as Democratic legislators are poised to expand last fall’s landmark Jobs Bill by increasing by 3,600 the number of small manufacturers in the state (1-100 employees) who qualify for $100 million in state loans, grants and job-training funds.
But Connecticut’s manufacturing employment – both in sheer numbers and as a percentage of overall employment – are now at their lowest levels in at least 60 years, according to the Fiscal Year 2012-2013 Biennium Economic Report of the Governor.
In 2010, there were 168,000 residents employed in manufacturing in Connecticut (10.4% of all jobs), down from a high of 442,000 in 1970. In 1950, 49.6% of all state residents were employed in some type of manufacturing.
That same report notes, however, that even with those declines in overall manufacturing employment, the ratio of manufacturing employment to total state employment still defines Connecticut as one of the major manufacturing and industrial states in the country. Based on the level of personal income derived from this sector, Connecticut ranks 18th in the nation for its dependency on manufacturing.