Mayor Virg Bernero Says #1 Ranking Among Top 100 Metros in America
Underscores Vital Role of Manufacturing in Nation’s Economic Recovery
Mayor Virg Bernero today hailed a new research report that ranks the Lansing-East Lansing, MI region as the top metropolitan area in America for manufacturing job growth. The report by the Urban Institute’s MetroTrends research team found that the Lansing area was the only metro in the nation to lead job growth in three key sectors – goods producing, manufacturing, and transportation and utilities – since
June 2009. Bernero called the report “Lansing’s national job growth trifecta.”
“Lansing is not just leading Michigan’s comeback, we are leading the nation’s economic rebound,” Bernero said. “This proves the proposition that manufacturing is vital to the health of our national economy. Great nations cannot just consume greatly; they must produce greatly. We have to make things. Lansing workers
are helping to put the ‘P’ back in America’s GDP.”
As the founder of the national Mayors Automotive Coalition (http://www.autocommunities.us), Mayor Bernero garnered national attention as a powerful and persuasive voice on behalf of U.S. automakers and the federal automotive rescue. He remains an outspoken advocate for fair trade policies that level the playing field for American workers. In numerous appearances on national cable and network news programs since 2008, Bernero has frequently called for a renewed federal commitment to rebuilding America’s manufacturing base.
Mayor Bernero credited Lansing’s manufacturing prowess in large measure to the resurgence of the city’s two state-of-the-art General Motors assembly plants. Noting that GM recently regained the title of world’s largest automaker, Bernero said Lansing’s nation-leading manufacturing rebound proves the success of President Obama’s rescue of the U.S. auto industry and highlights the wisdom of the President’s strong focus on manufacturing policy in his recent State of the Union Address.
“Lansing’s success is sweet vindication of the President’s bold stroke of visionary leadership in saving the American auto industry,” Bernero said. “As to the naysayers and the armchair quarterbacks – including Mr. Romney – the President and I have two words for you: Believe it!”
Published late last week by the Urban Institute (http://www.metrotrends.org), the MetroTrends study compared job growth in the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas between June 2009 and October 2011 in key economic sectors.
More at: http://datatools.metrotrends.org/charts/metrodata/CESMap_files/CESMap.cfm?statids=26,29