LEXINGTON, Ky. (April 25, 2013) — April showers may bring May flowers, but this April has also rained down jobs on Lexington and the Central Kentucky area.
Thursday’s announcement that Tiffany & Co. is adding 75 additional jobs at its Lexington facility makes April one of the strongest months for jobs announcements in recent history in Fayette County, Mayor Jim Gray said.
“We’ve had a great couple of weeks in terms of good new jobs coming into our city and into the Bluegrass, both in terms of the number of jobs and the quality of jobs,” Gray said. “Today we’re announcing the expansion of a firm that defines excellence … Tiffany & Co., with 75 additional jobs. Last week we cut ribbons to open new facilities for an international law firm, Bingham McCutchen, with 250 jobs; we opened downtown laboratories for Transposagen, 15 new biotech jobs; and Toyota announced the addition of a new production line, 750 new jobs.”
When you include the forthcoming construction of the 21c Museum Hotel, it’s clear Lexington is “the place to be for business,” said Gray, who has made job creation the top priority of his administration. 21c is bringing in 150 new jobs.
“Other than health and family, having a good job is about the most important thing there is right now,” Gray said. “We take every opportunity to help businesses grow jobs, or to attract new companies by creating the kind of environment where good jobs thrive.”
Since Gray took office in 2011, Fayette County employment numbers have returned to pre-recession levels. In 2012, Lexington had its largest labor force since 2008.
U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics show between January 2011, when Gray took office, and January 2013, the number of employed people grew by 10,429 in Fayette County.
Gray said the economy is back on track, but cautions we’re not out of the woods. “Let’s always remember we still have citizens who need work,” he said.
Add Comment