While there are signs of hope in the national jobs report, Guilford County’s unemployment rate remains an an even 10 percent. The Greensboro-High Point -Winston-Salem combined statistical area is 9.8 percent.
The N&R reports (unposted) “Guilford appears on its way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits.”
UNCG econ professor Don Jud analyzes:
“I suspect we would have to go back to the 1930s (to find that)…..In the early 1980s, the recession was very bad and go into double digit unemployment, but it didn’t stay there for three consecutive years.”
I noted before the Greensboro City Council election Dr. Jud’s support for the council’s outgoing conservative majority, stressing “the most important thing leaders can do is to make sure that our local government functions as efficiently as possible, providing the highest quality services at the lowest possible price.”
We saw how the election played out, and —I’m just guessing here —– some of Dr. Jud’s economic brethren on the UNCG faculty might deem that a failure of the conservative approach, although the mainstream spin is the election was a referendum on the White Street landfill.
Still, candidates insisted job creation was their ‘number one priority.’ The ball is now in their court.
