by Joseph Saronge

Created on: March 16, 2009   Last Updated: March 27, 2009

Obama's Construction Plan An Opportunity for Job Creation

President Barack Obama's plan for construction jobs is a three-way long term strategy aimed at boosting productivity and economy, ensuring competitiveness and improving unemployment.

Well, why do I term it a three way strategy? The answer lie in the fact that construction jobs has a positive chain reaction to the economy. With it comes along investments in buildings, road and railroad construction and school buildings which in turn will create jobs during and upon completion.

If we take an example of a building a Casino, its construction alone will create jobs and when completed, there is a high posibility of mushrooming of business and entertainment. And when it comes to school construction, it will help maintain the existing ones and build new ones and in the long term spar the economy. Keep in mind the fact that investment in education ensures America's innovation and competitiveness in the future.

With hard economic times facing the whole world, America cannot be complacent. There is need to enforce its economic strength and maintaining America as the best place in the world to live, work and do business.

If nothing is done, especially in the education building and construction, students may in future find themselves faced with inadequate learning facilities. The argument look far fetched but given a case scenario where the existing buildings are left unimproved and impoverished, there may be a possibility of many learning in dilapidated buildings.

And given that construction jobs suffered most according to economic experts with a record 12 per cent job loss, pumping money for construction work into the economy may help reverse the situation and avert further unemployment.

The President's plan will also create new construction related jobs for example road realignment, harbor deepening and widening, terminals and Pier improvement. the plan will also include among other things, sidewalks, roads and parks buildings most of which requires regular maintenance and better planning. In short without a plan, most of the existing infrastructure will deteriorate and become an eye sore.

In areas like Katrina, reconstruction of can not only boost the economy and ensure the future safety of residents but also restore hope to the business community to invest in areas prone to natural calamities.

With the plan, it is estimated that there will be 200 new highway construction jobs which will in turn help secure and save 150,000 jobs by the end of next year. In essence what this means that money paid to construction will circulate in the local market and as a result bolster the economy.

All in all Obama's plan is pumping money to where it is mostly needed, to the middle-class, a majority of who form the basis of America's economy.

Some may argue that the plan is too ambitious but Obama's plan besets a measure to halt economic downturn and provide the much needed assisttance. The plan too is aimed at better quality of life through offering better public transport.

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