Gov. Bobby Jindal emphasized the importance of job creation Friday, July 10, as he brought his “Louisiana Working Tour” campaign to a “Town Hall” meeting in Cottonport.

Also on July 10, Jindal spoke to the Southwest Louisiana Chamber of Commerce in Lake Charles.

During his tour, the governor is focusing on the state’s economy.

“Our No. 1 priority is and must continue to be creating jobs,” Jindal said, according to a news release. “ We know that we’re not immune to the effects of the national economic downturn and that we face long-term budget challenges, but we must pursue a strategy that creates an economic environment that fosters job creation.”

He said the state has made “significant progress” in handling the economy, but added, “This is just a start. We must do everything we can to keep this momentum going. We cannot, we must not, and we will not stop here.”

He said he has worked with the Legislature to overhaul the state’s work force development system to connect skilled workers with job opportunities.

“We used to compete based on our resources, now we must compete based on having the most skilled work force. Seventy percent of employers considering expanding or relocating to Louisiana tell us that finding skilled workers is their top one or two concerns,” Jindal said.

He also said that while other states are seeing people leave under high unemployment rates, Louisiana has now experienced its second consecutive year of population in-migration, based on information from the U.S. Census Bureau.