Members Help Secure Jobs Locally in Spite of Dire National Unemployment Numbers

WILKES-BARRE - Congressman Paul E. Kanjorski (D-PA) and Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) joined Sallie Mae Chief Executive Officer Albert L. Lord in announcing that Sallie Mae will create 600 new jobs at its facility in the Wilkes-Barre area, almost doubling the number of employees at Sallie Mae in the region.  These new jobs provide some positive developments locally in the wake of the most recent national unemployment rate, announced on Friday, which reached 8.5 percent in March.  Congressman Kanjorski was instrumental in working with Sallie Mae to have the company bring many of these new jobs to Northeastern Pennsylvania.  Sallie Mae is returning about 2,000 jobs from its overseas operations and it expects to hire these employees over the next 18 months.

"I applaud Sallie Mae for its efforts to bring so many overseas jobs back to the United States, and specifically 600 of those jobs to Northeastern Pennsylvania," said Congressman Kanjorski.  "I have a long working relationship with Sallie Mae and I am proud to have helped bring the current facility to the Wilkes-Barre area.  The facility has continued to grow over the years and today marks a significant step which almost doubles the number of employees at the facility.  I applaud Al Lord and Sallie Mae for this patriotic effort and I am moved that so many new jobs will benefit Northeastern Pennsylvanians."

"This is great news for Northeastern Pennsylvania," said Senator Casey. "With the U.S. unemployment rate at 8.5% it is about time we have some 'in-sourcing.'  I hope that more companies that have sent jobs overseas will follow Sallie Mae's example and bring jobs back to the United States.  And I hope that we can quickly see these new jobs filled."

Congressman Kanjorski worked closely with Sallie Mae and local leaders to bring the center to Luzerne County, to bring more jobs to the center over the years, and to keep the jobs at the facility as Sallie Mae streamlined its operations.  The center has grown tremendously since it opened in 1987.  As the Chairman of the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Capital Markets, Insurance and Government Sponsored Enterprises, Congressman Kanjorski works closely with Sallie Mae on a number of issues. 

Most recently, when the credit crunch erupted in late 2007, Congressman Kanjorski worked directly with Mr. Lord at Sallie Mae and other student loan providers to ensure that students could get the financing they need to afford to go to college.  Congressman Kanjorski held a roundtable forum at King's College in Wilkes-Barre on May 2, 2008 to examine the effects of the current credit crunch on the student loan market and explore potential solutions to these problems.  C.E. Andrews, then President of Sallie Mae, was one of the many people to participate in the forum.

Sallie Mae is the nation's largest provider of student loans and the leading administrator of 529 college savings plans.  The company serves 10 million student and parent customers.  Sallie Mae also provides parents, students, and educators with comprehensive information on the financial aid process.

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