Balancing the job gain report

“Things are paying off,” says Richard Blackwell, the chief economic development recruiter for Oconee County. He told the planning commission last night of a gain of 276 jobs in six months—the most since pre-recession year 2007. But Blackwell fielded a challenge to his report from David Lyle, planning commission chairman. Noting the loss of jobs at the Covidien plant near Seneca, Lyle questioned whether, on balance, if there is a job gain. Blackwell responded by saying that the global economy has been responsible for the loss of jobs in Oconee County. In the case of Covidien which is in the process of being taken over by a U-S-based company before re-locating its Seneca plant to Costa Rica, Blackwell said conversations are underway to explore the possibility of Covidien’s new owner reversing the earlier decision.