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GM Adding Jobs In Maryland

BALTIMORE COUNTY, Md. (WJZ) -- It may be a sign that the sluggish economy is picking up speed. One of the state's manufacturing plants is adding jobs.

Gigi Barnett reports that brought the U.S. Secretary of Labor from Washington to see the progress.

This is one of Baltimore County's fastest-growing manufacturing plants. Workers build electric parts for General Motors. Recently, sales have picked up. The work has, too. The boost in jobs has attracted the attention of U.S. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis. She toured the plant Wednesday with Governor Martin O'Malley.

"We've seen a lot of factories closing down in this industry. Now they're popping up and to see it happen here in Baltimore, Maryland, is a wonderful sight," Solis said.

Manufacturing jobs were hit hard long before the recession struck. Many companies shipped jobs overseas to China and Mexico. At some plants, computers and automated assembly lines took over the workers' spots.

Now that President Barack Obama is calling for tax cuts for companies that stay in the country, Solis says Maryland should see more manufacturing jobs return.

"Now is not the time that we pull money away from these kinds of investments. It's a time to make sure we stabilize our local economies. These are the people who have been hurting the most on the ground," Solis said.

Right now, this GM plant has about 220 workers, but next year it will expand and bring on 200 more. Those jobs come directly from Mexico.

Manufacturers added 50,000 new jobs to the economy last month. That's the most in a year.

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