Partnership for a New American Economy

The Register-Guard
April 4, 2012

Local manufacturers told their congressman yesterday that finding skilled workers and getting financial support to expand their sales overseas are among the roadblocks for companies like them that want to continue to grow and create more jobs.

This was just the kind of feedback U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley wanted to get when he convened a round table discussion with seven executives of local manufacturing companies Tuesday at Eugene’s Bike Friday. The meeting was part of his two-week tour of Oregon manufacturing facilities.

The United States has lost almost 5 million manufacturing jobs in the past decade, Merkley said. And at a time when everyone is looking for ways to create jobs, manufacturing has “tremendous potential to create living-wage jobs,” Merkley said.

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