As the nation struggles to deal with the largest economic crisis in decades, attention is focused on an economic stimulus bill that many believe should contain significant dollars for infrastructure improvements that will create jobs at both the local and state levels. According to Ed Sullivan, chief economist for the Portland Cement Association (PCA), Skokie, Ill., if the government does not act quickly, the nation could lose two million jobs in 2009.
"Times are tough," Sullivan says. "We need a government stimulus package that creates jobs throughout the nation. Infrastructure funding could create jobs on both an immediate and long-term basis." Sullivan cites that for every 10 construction jobs created by a project, the community gains 17 additional jobs that stay in the region even after a project’s completion.
