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Jackson is Set to Grow! What Does This Mean For Employers?

The employment future is looking very bright for Mississippi—and the Mississippi Economic Council can prove it.

Last year, they surveyed 20 different communities in “every corner of Mississippi” as part of the 2011 Mississippi Blueprint project, an objective review of the state’s economic opportunities and recommended actions for putting Mississippi into a growth phase.

The Blueprint Project came back with some very promising results. “Without a fault people are feeling very, very positive,” reports Blake Wilson, the Council president.  According to the report, the majority of business and community leaders across the state think that Mississippi will be an emerging growth state over the next 10 years.

Wilson would like to see that optimism result in more ribbon cuttings, putting Mississippi on a level with states like Georgia and North Carolina.

“We’re in a place of great opportunity here in Mississippi, so we’ve got to feel and celebrate every small victory and remember that incremental progress, day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year results in exponential progress over time,” Wilson said.

One negative note in the report: about half of the respondents think Mississippi kids will have to leave the state to find good jobs. But according to Blake Wilson, new high tech businesses are already coming in and the foundation is being laid.

“People believe that we are going to be a place of great opportunity and we’re building that so ten years from now that’s how Mississippi is going to be viewed,” Wilson said.

And people’s viewpoints will vary depending on where they live.

“Folks who are in well educated college communities and economic hot spots like Jackson feel more positive than those who are in the very most rural parts of Mississippi. That’s understandable.” Wilson said. “What the purpose of this whole blueprint effort is, is to help folks in Mississippi, wherever they live, see where they can maximize their best opportunity for their region.”

Hank Bounds, chairman of the Blueprint Mississippi 2011 effort and current state Commissioner of Higher Education, says the long-term goal is to ensure the economy prospers so people’s children and grandchildren can stay in Mississippi and find good jobs when they grow up.

Wilson says that over the past eight years, Mississippi has greatly improved its work force training and economic incentive programs that it offers to companies to move to the state or to expand existing operations.

“Mississippi has moved into a place of great promise. You’ve got to continue to make sure your edge is sharp,” Wilson said.

How can you make sure your edge is sharp? By hiring the best employees! Contact Staffers today, to find out how we can help your company be part of the upsurge in Mississippi’s business communities.

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