Wayne County area economy faces job losses, gains

By Brian Zimmerman, Palladium-Item staff writer

bxzimmerman@pal-item.com

A rough-and-tumble economy idled or downsized many Richmond-area employers in 2008, forced restaurants and retailers to close their doors and left hundreds looking for work.

Meanwhile, local governments were forced to make budget cuts to keep up with rising fuel costs while forecasted revenue losses loom as a result of property tax reform approved by legislators.

Those factors combined to make the economy one of the top stories in the Whitewater Valley in 2008.