Connecticut
Business Survey Finds More Job Cuts Likely
The state lost 11,300 jobs between September and November last year, and a new survey suggests the job cuts should continue well into 2009. Of the 141 businesses that responded, 46% said they expect to reduce their staffs this year, while 18% expect to add workers and 36% expect staff levels to remain the same.
Source: Waterbury Republican-American

Michigan
State Considers Ergonomics Standard
A proposed state ergonomics standard opposed by the business community is moving ahead. Two state commissions supported taking additional steps to develop rules governing how employers must identify and address conditions that could put workers at risk for job-related injuries caused by repetitive motion, force, and other factors. The standard will go through further review and public hearings.
Source: Crain's Detroit Business

New York
Mayor Lays Out Nine-Point Recovery Plan
Mayor Michael Bloomberg said he will create 400,000 jobs within six years. Bloomberg also proposed aiding 17,000 small business owners by abolishing the unincorporated business tax, part of a nine-point plan to spur the city's economic recovery. Jobs will be created through investing in infrastructure, including $900 million over nine years to install energy-saving systems in city schools, hospitals, and other buildings, the mayor said.
Source: Bloomberg News

Utah
State Poised for Comeback, Governor Says
Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (R) said Utah is poised to be viewed as a safe haven for capital and businesses once the nation rebounds from its economic crisis. Speaking to about 850 business people attending the Washington County Economic Development Summit, Huntsman said the state has the fundamentals to survive the economic downturn and emerge stronger, smarter and faster than the rest of the country. Huntsman also laid out what he saw as the priority issues for his term—health care reform, energy development, and compensating teachers at a "respectable level."
Source: The Salt Lake Tribune

Washington
Governor Proposes Tax Cut for Businesses
Gov. Chris Gregoire (D) has proposed tapping $400 million of the state's $4 billion unemployment trust fund to give a temporary tax cut for businesses and a temporary boost in benefits for laid-off workers. The money would be split in half between improved unemployment benefits and a reduction in the amount of money employers pay into the fund.
Source: The Seattle Times