Jim Brinling's List: Headlines For the Week of February 9th - 12th

• 1953 and 1954, Erie lost 12.5 percent of its jobs,
• 13.3 percent were lost between 1978 and 1982
• Erie County has shed 2,600 jobs since employment peaked at  134,900 in May 2008.
  
• But it's also just 1.9 percent of our total  employment.
  
• What's the different this time?
  
• the biggest difference is a more diverse economy.
  
• Although Erie remains one of the most manufacturing-focused  communities in the nation, it's also relying more these days on its education,  health and tourism sectors, Rouch said.
  
• That diversity has helped offset the loss of a thousand  manufacturing jobs over the past year with gains in health care and education  employment.
  
• "I am totally worried that something could happen," Rouch  said. "But do I really believe we are going to have a major shoe drop? It's so  hard to say."
  
  If GE represents that "other  shoe," Rouch stressed that the company is also a big part of the reason Erie's  unemployment rate isn't higher.
  
  "GE has hired  nearly 2,000 people in the last five years. Let's not lose sight of that," he  said.
  
  At the same time, Kurre said, "If things  are going to turn south for them, that will have a major impact."
  

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• GE Transportation, which had been warning employees about  possible cutbacks for weeks, on Tuesday announced plans for 350 permanent  layoffs and 1,200 temporary lack-of-work furloughs.
  
• GE, which built 907 locomotives in 2007 and 861 in 2008, is  projecting it will build 485 in 2009, a decline of 44 percent.
  
• At GE, the combination of permanent and temporary layoffs --  including 230 temporary layoffs announced in January -- represents a decline in  employment of more than 30 percent.
  
• The company's goal of 350 job cuts could take the form of  early retirements, attrition, restructuring and layoffs.
  
• massive growth of employment at GE in recent years, he has  1,963 union employees with five years of service or less.
  
• Sinnott, who spoke to GE officials Tuesday, said he was  reassured to hear that the company remains committed to  Erie.
  
  It was a point that Francis took pains  to stress.
  
  "We are looking back at a 100-year  heritage that we are proud of," he said. "We are still committed to  Erie."
  

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