Madera official is hopeful for economic boost
The San Joaquin River Restoration Program will create more than 11,000 jobs in the San Joaquin Valley between 2013 and 2025, according to a new study by economist Shawn Kantor, a professor at University of California, Merced.
A report on the potential local economic impacts of the program was released this week by the nonprofit Fresno Regional Foundation.
“The main work to restore the San Joaquin River and the resulting recreational industry expansion will generate more than 11,000 jobs in the San Joaquin Valley,” Kantor said. “The Valley is in dire need of this type of impetus as the region experiences some of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Many of these jobs will be in the construction trades, which have been especially hard-hit by the recession.”
The unemployment rate each month in Madera County has remained between 14 and 16 percent this year, according to data from the state’s Employment Development Department...