Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty

Representing the 5th District of Connecticut
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Jobs and the Economy

Across the 5th District I’ve heard from business owners, educators, young people and parents that we need to redouble our efforts on middle-class job creation. Too many young people do not see Connecticut as a place of opportunity and our businesses are looking for skilled workers to help their companies to grow and thrive.  Then there are those who are struggling to find a job or just hang onto the one they have.  
 
We need to set a thoughtful course to long-term job growth and rebuilding a robust middle class in the 5th District, in Connecticut and across our country.

American workers can and do compete with the best in the world – but they need the benefit of a level playing field.  That means closing tax loopholes that reward companies who ship our jobs oversees and it means enforcing our trades laws.

Here at home, we need to reward innovation and ensure businesses in our community have the support they need to grow and compete. We must invest in research and development in the clean energy sector to create good jobs in technology, manufacturing and construction. We must help our small business thrive, innovate and hire by providing access to capital, reducing unnecessary red tape, and making sure small business taxes are fair and encourage growth. We must also ensure our workers have the skills those businesses need to compete by focusing on vocational training in high school, coupled with apprenticeships and 1 or 2 years of post high school education.

Finally, we must make strategic investments in long-term growth - infrastructure, energy and education.  For our economy to recover, we must be willing to invest in that recovery.

 

I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you.

See also information on Jobs and resources for Businesses.

More on Jobs and the Economy

May 8, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty today applauded the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for awarding a $200,000 brownfield grant to the City of Meriden. The grant will be used to fund the clean-up of a parcel located at 50 East Main Street and to support community outreach activities.

May 8, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) voted against H.R. 1406, the misleadingly named Working Families Flexibility Act of 2013 — a recycled, partisan GOP bill that would erode the ability of working families to make ends meet, plan for family time, or have true work-time flexibility.

May 1, 2013

FARMINGTON — When you walk through an automatic door at a store, there's a good chance it is made in Farmington.

Access Technologies, a division of Stanley Black & Decker, makes automatic doors for all sorts of purposes including store entries and hospitals, according to President Frank Luke.

Access Technologies has been in Farmington since 1967, according to Luke, and currently has 316 employees at its location in Farmington, the second most of any Stanley location in the state.

Apr 30, 2013

NEW HAVEN, CT—Connecticut’s members of the House of Representatives—Rosa DeLauro, John Larson, Joe Courtney, Jim Himes and Elizabeth Esty—asked Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood to ensure all of the state’s air traffic control towers stay open. Congress passed legislation Friday giving Secretary LaHood authority to transfer funds for this purpose, but there is no guarantee he will. Closing Connecticut’s six contract towers would unnecessarily hurt the hundreds of workers whose jobs are associated with them and hurt the state’s economy.

Apr 30, 2013

WATERBURY -- As Congress debates immigration reform, thousands of undocumented Connecticut residents dream of the day they can live peacefully.

About 30 people, most of them leaders of community and nonprofit organizations that give voice to immigrants, gathered for a round-table discussion at Waterbury City Hall on Monday held by Rep. Elizabeth H. Esty, D-5th District.

Apr 25, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) urged 5th District towns and cities to apply for the U.S. Department of Justice’s 2013 Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Hiring Program (CHP) grants.

Apr 9, 2013

Congresswoman Elizabeth Esty (CT-5) released the following statement on Equal Pay Day, which marks how far into the year a woman must work, on average, to earn as much as a man earned the previous year. Esty is an original co-sponsor of the Paycheck Fairness Act in the 113th Congress. 

Apr 9, 2013

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 200,000 businesses closed their doors between 2008 and 2010. The tough economic times during those years forced many small businesses in the nation to fold. Many were entrepreneurs, riding the waves, hoping to hold on until economic storms calmed.

Mar 26, 2013

HARTFORD, CT—Connecticut’s congressional delegation released the following statement today expressing their disappointment in the United States Postal Service (USPS)’s decision to speed up closure of the Wallingford and Stamford postal processing facilities. The closures, which were originally scheduled for next year, will now be taking place this year.

Mar 22, 2013

WASHINGTON, DC—Connecticut's entire congressional delegation today called on the Department of Labor (DOL) to end the current freeze on student enrollment as soon as possible at Job Corps centers in New Haven, Hartford and nationwide. Congress passed legislation this week funding the federal government and giving DOL the authority to immediately transfer funds to the Job Corps program to end the freeze.