Washington, DC  -  At a time when the economy is showing initial signs of recovery, but lagging in job creation, Congressman Mike Rogers (R-Saks) announced today the Anniston Army Depot will create and fill 126 new jobs by the end of this month.

 
“The single most important thing we must do to improve the economy is to help create good paying jobs,” Rogers said. “The Depot is of great strategic importance to our nation’s defense, and at the same time, has continued to provide a much-needed boost to our local economy.”

Rogers said the new hires, which include 13 new jobs filled because of recent retirements, are a direct result of increased defense spending by Congress over the past several months and the war in Iraq. The new positions will become part of the Depot’s federal workforce and will be assigned to overhauling and repairing equipment returning from the Middle East.

“The men and women at the Anniston Army Depot provide direct support for our armed forces across the globe,” Rogers added. “These new jobs will help secure the peace for generations of Alabamians, and help get our economy back on track to greater prosperity.”

The Third District representative said the Depot’s workforce has been growing steadily over the past three years, adding 893 new federal employees to its workforce so far, not including the jobs announced today. These prior additions number 551 new jobs and 342 replacements for existing positions. Recent legislation related to the new Depot jobs include the $78 billion wartime supplemental passed in April, and the $370 billion defense appropriations bill, which is currently in conference.