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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Somerville's Got Some Employment Bragging Rights!



The City of Somerville is leading the way when it comes to employment records according to data released by the Massachusetts Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development Department of Unemployment Assistance.

Posting it on his Facebook page, Mayor Joe Curtatone writes, "Exciting and possibly historic fact that just came to my attention - Somerville right now has the lowest unemployment rate of any city in Massachusetts. Yes, even less than places like Newton and Cambridge. On top of that, we have the 3rd lowest unemployment rate of any MA municipality with a workforce of more than 10,000 people, behind the towns of Brookline and Acton (tied with Arlington and Belmont). And as we see more businesses moving into places like Union Square and Assembly Square, that hopefully will enable more Somervillians to work closer to home.

Yet the main takeaway is the live, work, play and raise a family values around which we've oriented our community are paying real economic dividends. That's something to keep in mind as we get closer to the vote in November when the people of Massachusetts finally will get their say on the desperate and foolish attempt to bring casinos to our state. There is a better way and we're doing it here in Somerville. That doesn't mean we're perfect, but we most assuredly are on the right track."

This data is also available as an Excel spreadsheet.

19 comments:

Anonymous said...

Joe trying to take some kind of credit for this statistic is ridiculous.

Anonymous said...

He might as well because in the Somerville Journal "Speakout".. and elsewhere, he gets blamed for all that goes wrong.

I blame him for a dog crapping on my sidewalk and the owner not picking up.
If Joe would only put an animal control officer or a police officer on my street 24/7 I'm sure a dog-owner would think twice about not picking up.

Encumbent aldermen, in their pass-out literature at election time, all take credit for what went right in the city during their term. It's in all Somerville politician's DNA to do that.




Anonymous said...

If it was possible to include all those adults on the dole, assistance, etc. for one reason or another, who work and get paid under table, Somerville would be #1 in the state.

Somerville also benefits by the fact that the many influx of persons from other areas come here with jobs or their own business.

Anonymous said...

Also, in other towns, you can lose your job and still sort of keep it together for several months while you're looking another job. But Somerville is so expensive now, that a basic unemployment check won't tide you over. So unemployment = having to move out of Somerville.

Considering that Somerville is full of people working 2 jobs just to make ends meet, I'm not surprised that there aren't many people living here with no job at all.

Anonymous said...

As for the November voting for and against the building of casinos in close proximity to Somerville; the mayor is obviously against them being built; and our Somerville people should not want or vote for them.

But , the real world, which includes gambling Somerville residents, have been traveling to casinos in Connecticut and other casino for years now since they opened.

Even the "Somerville Council on Aging" schedules frequent trips to Connecticut casinos for gambling senior citizens; and other gambling Somerville residents have been getting to those casinos by their own car or buses out of Medford for many years.

I believe the mayor himself has been known to engage in a game of blackjack, Vegas Nights, at the old Somerville Good Times once located at Assembly Square.

Bottom line, it appears the mayor has no problem with gambling or casinos, but not in our backyard.



Anonymous said...

The mayor has a selective memory.

The city and lending institutions have foreclosed on many, many, owners of homes as published in the local papers for the past few years; and still going on.

Also, families forced to move out of the city who no longer could afford the escalating rents.

Even some small business's that have been here for a number of years have closed down due to higher taxes.

It's turning into "condo city" where once there were rental families.

Anonymous said...

The Mayor stated: the city is now a good place to live, work, and raise a family.

Live and work, that's fine.
Raise a family????... only if you are in a high income bracket; or both parents working; or holding multiple part-time jobs as well as a full time job.

Anonymous said...

I wonder what the attraction is for Roche's in even thinking about locating what amounts to a Gourmet store in Somerville, whose prices would be out of reach for the average Somerville family with kids.

Anonymous said...

Sorry Mr.Mayor, but the main "takeaway" for Somerville residents is for people with money; the old-line blue-collar worker families not in that class.

Anonymous said...

Sorry to say, but in my opinion, Mayor Curtatone has lost touch with the rank and file people of Somerville; and the rank & file numbers are getting smaller and smaller each year; can no longer afford to live in Somerville.

Anonymous said...


He makes it a point to show up here there and everywhere, has his picture taken, and then is gone. Hardly a week goes by that his picture is not shown in the local papers.

Anonymous said...

The mayor seems to never miss an opportunity to have his picture taken; a master at it; even if the oportunity exists at different venues the same day, resulting in hardly a week goes by his picture is not shown in the newspapers; sometimes more than once in the same editions the same week.

Understood, that's what some politicians do; he gets an A+ in that effort.

Anonymous said...

That too is in all politicians DNA!

Anonymous said...

I give the rest of Somerville's elected and wannabe pols a B- in that regard.

Anonymous said...

If he sat behind his desk and did nothing everyone would bitch about that.

Anonymous said...

Absolutely!!!!

Anonymous said...

If he is sitting behind his desk doing nothing we would never know.

If there is a photo-op when sitting behind his desk he is too smart a dude to portray himself as "doing nothing."

Maybe holding a pen to paper, phone in his ear, working a computer, meeting with people, etc. etc.

But nobody have ever described him as a do nothing mayor; possibly somewhat narcissistic when it comes to never passing up an opportunity for a picture-op.



Anonymous said...

More so a picture he knows will end up in printed circulation.

Anonymous said...

If anyone else was mayor-they would be no different. Even members of the board complained that they weren't included in press releases this year.