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CEDAR CITY — A new initiative in Southern Utah is helping create jobs. It's called Hire One More.
"Our goal is to increase employment in our community and put people back to work," said Scott Jolley of the Cedar City Chamber of Commerce.
He says it's working, with 160 new jobs created since May in Iron County alone, and maybe more that have not been reported.
The initiative focuses on getting businesses to create new jobs, not just fill jobs left vacant by attrition.
Jolley says workers have been strained at many companies that had lay-offs during the recession.
- CML Metals - 45
- Gilbert Development Inc. - 15
- Valley View Medical Center - 11 (3 doctors)
- Mountain America Credit Union of Cedar City - 7
- Southern Utah University - 18
- Convergys of Cedar City - 40
- Farm Bureau Financial Services - 3
- Stevens-Henager College - 2
- Southwest Applied Technology College - 6
- Pizza Hut of Cedar City - 3
- Hilton Double Tree Brian Head (Grand Lodge) - 14
"When someone says, ‘We are going to hire one more person, and it will take this responsibility from you and this one from you,' morale goes up," Jolley said.
Additionally, the state Department of Workforce Services is offering incentives to companies that qualify to participate in the program, including:
- Wage subsidies of up to $2,000 per eligible participant
- Reimbursement to employers to offset training costs
- Up to 50 percent of wages reimbursed during training
- DWS assistance in screening applicants
Some employers could also qualify for Federal Work Opportunity Tax Credits for hiring individuals in targeted groups.
Jolley says other business leaders around Utah could learn from this initiative and use it as a model.
Currently, Utah's unemployment rate is at 6 percent, while the national jobless rate is at 8.2 percent. Approximately 32,000 jobs were added to the state economy in June.
Last January, Utah business leaders announced a 10-point, private-sector plan to create 150,000 new jobs over the next five years. And in September, Utah Gov. Gary Herbert created a blue-ribbon panel — the Governor's Economic Development Coordinating Council — which was asked to develop a plan that would empower the private sector to hire 100,000 Utahns in 1,000 days.
