O'Pake

            HARRISBURG, April 9 - Citing recent employment data, Senate Democratic Whip Michael A. O'Pake (D-Berks) today introduced legislation that would boost the state's Job Creation Tax Credit for businesses from $1,000 to $3,000 per new job created.

          In Senate floor remarks, O'Pake said the bill -- one of several economic stimulus measures advocated by the Governor -- makes "good common sense and fiscal sense" for the benefit of Pennsylvania's businesses "who need a shot in the arm at present" and "for Pennsylvanians who are looking for work."

          O'Pake said the boost in the tax credit is aimed at encouraging businesses that have been planning to hire new workers "to move forward with those plans."  The state's Job Creation Tax Credit, he said, is "one of many tools in our state's economic development toolbox that, since its inception in 1996, has helped to create more than 71,000 new jobs."  The boost in the size of the credit from $1,000 to $3,000 "would be the first since the program was implemented a dozen years ago," O'Pake said. 

            He added that while Pennsylvania's jobless rate has been lower than the nation's unemployment rate for all but two of the past 62 months, Pennsylvania's loss of 8,000 jobs in February showed the state is "not immune" to the enveloping national economic downturn and that "we need to do what we can, and do it now, to help Pennsylvania weather the national storm."  New national data released last Friday showed the loss of 80,000 jobs nationwide in March and an increase in the nation's jobless rate from 4.8 to 5.1 percent.  State job data for March won't be available until later this month.