Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, January 12, 1993 TAG: 9301120278
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: B3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: JOSEPH COSCO STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: VIRGINIA BEACH LENGTH: Medium
ROBB SAYS CUTBACKS WILL HIT HARD
The downscaling of America's military is expected to cost Virginia some 47,000 jobs in the private sector over the next four years, Sen. Charles Robb announced Monday."A heavy preponderance of those people live right here. They are your neighbors, friends and customers," the Democratic senator told several hundred people gathered for the annual meeting of the Virginia Beach Division of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce.
The projected job losses came from a pending report by the national Defense Conversion Commission, said Robb, who was recently appointed to the Senate Armed Services Committee.
The 47,000 figure includes only non-government jobs in businesses that provide goods and services directly to the military, the senator said. It does not include other jobs that could be lost through an economic ripple effect. And it does not include civilian employees of the federal government.
Chamber members gave Robb a warm reception despite the gloomy message of his luncheon speech.
Robb said the commission's report projected a loss of 1 million jobs nationwide because of the shrinking military. He said 60 percent of the jobs lost will be in 10 states.
Only California, New York and Texas are expected to lose more jobs than Virginia, with losses of 178,000, 62,000 and 56,000 jobs, respectively.
Robb called all the estimates conservative.
After the Vietnam War, with defense spending falling at an annual rate of 6.5 percent, Hampton Roads lost more than 41,000 non-federal defense workers by 1976. However, a robust national economy helped the area record a net gain of 32,000 during that period.
The senator urged members of the Chamber of Commerce to get involved by retraining displaced workers, making loans available to them, and hosting a community business fund. "By taking a community view you can help the local economy from falling so far," he said.
Robb said military downsizing "will affect more Americans than any other question that will come before the Armed Services Committee."
"I expect to spend a lot of my time on that particular subject," sa id Robb, who is also a member of the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee.
Memo: shorter version ran in the Metro edition.