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More jobs could be headed to the Quad Cities after grant

Manufacturing jobs are headed back into the Quad Cities. The back bone of America’s economy and this regions economy has certainly been manufacturing. The...

Manufacturing jobs are headed back into the Quad Cities.

The back bone of America's economy and this regions economy has certainly been manufacturing.

The U.S. Department of Commerce has given the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce and the Bi-State Regional Commission a check for $163,500.

The hub doesn't have a physical location, at this point, it is more of a concept.

A concept that is expected to help the Quad Cities region economy.

"Think of this as the business plan and following the business plan would be implementation since we've made it through this round of funding we've got the business fund, if you will, now we can implement for next year", said Mark Hunt with the Bi-State Regional Commission.

In 1965 manufacturing in the United States accounted for 53 percent of this economy.
But as jobs were outsourced overseas, by year 2004, manufacturing had plummeted to just percent.

"Jobs that were going over sea's at one time are not because wages are increasing over sea's and the cost of transportating, cost of fuel is getting mre expensive, manufacturing locally just makes sense".

Manufacturing presents a whopping 67 percent of private sector research and development spending, as well as 30% of the countries productivity growth.

So what does this all mean for the Quad Cities?

"Manufacturing comprises about 18 percent of our area's employement base, it's 16 percent of our area's workforce it's still a very important part of our community", said Paul Rumler with Quad Cities Chamber.

A community that is deep rooted in a manufacturing heritage.

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