SUNBURY— The jobless rate went down again last month. The monthly national employment numbers are out. U.S. employers’ added 209,000 jobs in the month of July, and the unemployment rate at 4.3 percent is matching the 16 year low reached in May.
Robert Garrett, President and CEO of the Greater Susquehanna Valley Chamber of Commerce, says the unemployment rates in The Valley are better than the national average but participation is still low, “Our unemployment rates are among the lowest in the state. In fact, three of our four counties are below the national average with Montour taking the lead a 3.6 percent. The problem is participation we would really love to see more people getting into the workforce.”
Another sign of the economy growing stronger, the Dow Jones industrial average closed above 22,000 points for the first time Wednesday. Garret says this shows the Government is getting its hands out of business, “When a new regulation comes along with some other way that you are taking money away from companies and businesses there is a ripple effect and what has happened is I think that we are pushing back against that.”
You can listen to the full conversation with Garrett at WKOK.com, he was on Friday’s On The Mark program.
