Bureau/Division/Agency
Governor
Document Type
Sound
Exact Creation Date
12-4-2013
Duration
00:02:27
Language
English
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Rights Statement
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Description
Declining unemployment rates indicate our economic policies are putting more Mainers back to work.
Hello, this is Governor Paul LePage.
We have been working hard for three years to improve the business climate so Maine companies can do what they do best: create jobs.
We reduced taxes, cut red tape, streamlined regulations and made fiscally responsible decisions to right-size government. These factors make Maine more competitive in attracting and retaining jobs.
3,800 more Mainers were employed in October 2013 than in October 2012. The unemployment rate fell to 6.9% in September, and then dropped to 6.7% in October.
In fact, Maine’s unemployment rate in October fell to its lowest since 2008. Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate is still at 7.3%.
The nation’s unemployment rate remains high because of the broken system in Washington, D.C., which has resulted in $17 trillion of debt, unbalanced budgets, high taxes and uncertainty in the marketplace.
These job-killing efforts are the exact opposite of what a government should be doing to increase employment.
Career politicians don’t know how to create jobs. I spent my entire career in business, and I understand what companies need to succeed. When businesses succeed, Maine families benefit from the good-paying jobs they provide.
Our administration has transformed state government from an adversary into a partner with a “can do” attitude that moves at the speed of business. Our pro-growth policies have made it easier for them to create more jobs for Mainers.
Because more Mainers are employed, the Department of Labor will drop the 2014 Unemployment Insurance Tax rates to the lowest since 2009. This will save companies $30 million in 2014, allowing them to expand, invest and hire more workers.
And there is more good news, a recent report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia shows that Maine is one of 11 states in the nation that has a growing economy.
We cannot continue with the status quo, and we cannot return to the failed policies of the past.
We must keep working to improve our economy so all Maine families can prosper and that’s exactly what we are doing.