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Home > Blogs > Ohio politics > Archives > 2009 > April > 17
Friday, April 17, 2009
Truck drivin’ Gov. Ted?
Gov. Ted Strickland spent Thursday, April 16, in Detroit, meeting with auto executives and test driving two of their latest vehicles.
Strickland said drove an electric-powered truck cab produced by General Motors and a Ford with a new fuel efficient engine that may be available in several models.
Ford Motor Co. turned him loose on the nearby interstate highway while GM had the governor driving the truck in a parking lot.
“It drives sort of like a golf cart. It’s an electric vehicle that can be used with 18-wheelers,” he said. The one the governor drove did not have a trailer attached.
Strickland and Lt. Gov. Lee Fisher visit Detroit’s Big Three at least quarterly to keep tabs on the auto industry.
“I heard some encouraging news and I was able to talk to leaders of the car companies about possible future investments in Ohio,” he said. “I think I probably shouldn’t be more specific than that.”
He added that they also discussed the challenges facing the auto industry. “They assured me they would be making no changes in their Ohio operations without talking with us, giving us a heads-up,” Strickland said.
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Ohio’s unemployment rate highest in 25 years
Ohio’s unemployment rate hit a 25 year-high when it reached 9.7 percent in March, according to new data released Friday, April 17 by the state Department of Job and Family Services.
The last time Ohio’s unemployment rate hit 9.7 percent was April 1984.
Nationwide, the unemployment rate for March was 8.5 percent, up from 8.1 percent in February.
The U.S. unemployment rate for March was 8.5 percent, up from 8.1 percent in February.
All told, there are 578,000 Ohioans looking for work, up from 567,000 in February when the unemployment rate was 9.5 percent. Just a year ago, the state jobless rate was 6.1 percent.
