It is my privilege to begin a monthly column on issues of the day . I hope youwill enjoy reading it and will fi nd it useful and informative .

Connecticut prides itself as one of the highest per capita earning states in the country . Our state is marked by highly-skilled labor and high-paying jobs . Being so highly employed , however , makes us particularly vulnerable to the latest statistics on employment in this recession . For us , statistics aren’t just numbers reported on television – they have a face , live next door and might even share our bed . According to the Department of Labor , the jobless rate has steadied a bit , remaining just under 10 percent , but a decrease in job losses isn’t the same as job creation .

Perhaps more alarming , and often overlooked in this Great Recession , is the untold story of the underemployed . Underemployment happens when people who have lost their jobs begin working again , but below their skill capacity , making below their earning power , working part-time but desire full-time work , or have stopped looking for work all together . Examples include IT specialists working a cash register , a full-time construction employee now working one or two part-time jobs , or a laid-off manager taking an entry-level position ; these are all examples of underemployment . As a homebuilder , I see underemployment on a regular basis , so this subject hits close to home . The housing industry is one of the hardest hit by this present recession . I see contractors and subcontractors working below their skill levels if they aren’t looking for work . When skilled tradesmen are working below capacity , they are not training a new generation of skilled workers , which creates a long-term problem for skilled workers .

Gallup captured one of the results of this hard-to-quantify phenomenon in a recent study . According to its daily survey , around 20 percent of the U . S . workforce was underemployed during the month of January . This means around 30 million Americans are working at less than capacity . The numbers are staggering when combined with the unemployment rate , telling us about one-third of Americas have undesirable employment situations . Gallup continues to watch the underemployment phenomenon , and recently released a study on one subtle economic effect . “ Those who are underemployed reported spending 36 percent less than those who were employed , ” it claims . This translates into an average of approximately $ 48 per day versus $ 75 per day , or a difference of $ 27 per day less , potentially costing the U . S . hundreds of millions . Every industry is affected , from retail to healthcare . People are making less , so they are spending less .

The real question economists are asking now is , what will be the long-term effect ? Is underemployment here to stay ? Professionals have given up tens of thousands in salary earning power and advancement . Will this mean a permanent standard of living decrease for these individuals and a whole generation of American families ? At this point , we don’t have answers to those questions . I do know , however , that in a time of deficit spending , we must remember debt payments will one day come due . Deficit spending , combined with possible permanent underemployment , could have catastrophic standard of living effects on our youngpeople . When making spending decisions , we as leaders need to keep the future in mind .

This legislative session in Hartford is dubbed the “ jobs” session . Connecticut needs jobs . As leaders , we must make Connecticut a friendly place to do business , because by so doing , we make Connecticut a job-friendly state once again . This session , I hope to work with my colleagues in the General Assembly to do just that .

If youhave questions or concerns , please call me at home ( 860 ) 528 3564 , email me at bill . aman@cga . ct . gov , stop by my office hours at the library , or speak up if yousee me around town .