October 14, 2014

Rep. Mark Takano Issues “Jobs Agenda for the Inland Empire”

Washington DC – Earlier today, Rep. Mark Takano released a report titled “Jobs Agenda for the Inland Empire” – a comprehensive plan to reduce unemployment in the Inland Empire.  
 
Over the last year, Rep. Takano visited 100 businesses in the 41st Congressional District and heard directly from business owners about the economic climate in the Inland Empire. After the meetings with businesses of various sizes and in different business sectors, clear trends began to emerge about how to improve the outlook for small businesses and create jobs in our community. 
 
Jobs Agenda for the Inland Empire Overview:
  • Improving the workforce through strengthening workforce training program, improving primary education, making high education more affordable, shutting down inefficient and predatory for-profit colleges, reforming our immigration system, and improving visa programs.
  • Leveraging federal resources by improving awareness of the Small Business Administration and federal manufacturing incentives. 
  • Helping Inland Empire small businesses compete in the global market by offering export assistance. 
  • Investing in infrastructure projects that bring direct and indirect jobs to the Inland Empire. 
  • Better educating businesses about tax credits made available by the Affordable Care Act.
  • Supporting local innovation through the maker movement, coworking spaces and crowdfunding. 
“After speaking with more than 100 business owners in Riverside County, it became apparent that the Inland Empire is poised and ready to pull itself out of the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression,” said Rep. Takano. “With 33 percent of the businesses I met with saying they planned to hire additional employees but are unable to because of a lack of qualified candidates, it is clear that we must do more to properly train out workforce. In addition to improving our workforce-training program, we must better educate business owners to federal resources that are available, help businesses compete in the global marketplace, support local innovation, and invest in infrastructure. Many business owners in the Inland Empire are optimistic about the future and by implementing this jobs agenda, we can continue to grow our local economy, lower unemployment, and improve the lives of those in Riverside County.”