Economic Development Chief Cautious About Economic Recovery

A state official is issuing a cautious assessment of the Missouri economy, saying it appears to be on the rebound. State Economic Development Director Joe Driskill has been hesitant to declare the recession over in Missouri. The last time he made a positive economic forecast, it didn’t materialize. He vowed not to do it again. Driskill won’t declare the recession over now. He says that’s for the economists in Washington to declare. Still, Driskill says the information collected by his office indicates the state economy is on an upswing. Driskill does acknowledge the state keeps absorbing blows. Transportation and tourism have yet to fully recover from the blows of the terrorist attacks nearly two years ago. American Airlines has retrenched, costing Missouri 6,500 jobs – and counting. Driskill insists the state economy is creating more jobs than it is losing and he says Missouri should reap benefits from the expansion by this fall.