U.S. Chamber's Campaign for Free Enterprise Highlights South Carolina Job Goals During Next Decade

State's Business Leaders Must Lead Effort to Create more than 339,122 Jobs

COLUMBIA, SC—Today the U.S. Chamber of Commerce challenged more than 400 of the state's business leaders to join the American Free Enterprise.Dream Big. campaign and lead the effort to create 20 million jobs in the next decade to revive the nation's economy, including 339,122 jobs in South Carolina alone.

"The challenge to businesses in the state is enormous," said Stan Anderson, managing director of the U.S. Chamber's Campaign for Free Enterprise. While speaking at the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce's annual Washington Night, Anderson highlighted the Campaign's Strategy for New American Jobs. "Creating a plan to restore the jobs lost during this recession and add millions of new jobs is essential to revitalizing our economy."

"We believe this state's businesses have the ingenuity, entrepreneurial spirit, and drive to create the innovative solutions needed to meet this jobs challenge," he said. Anderson went on to highlight South Carolina's innovative contributions, including $2.1 billion in research and development spending in 2005 alone. The state's innovators also received 542 patents in 2007.

Today's event is part of a series of state and local forums the campaign is participating in around the country in the coming weeks and months to announce state-by-state job growth goals and to cultivate discussions with students, mayors, governors, and academics about how to meet the 20 Million Job Challenge. In addition, the campaign is still accepting video submissions for its I Am Free Enterprise video contest, which invites all aspiring and established entrepreneurs to share their story of free enterprise for a chance to win $100,000 in cash prizes.

American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's comprehensive, multiyear campaign to support free enterprise through national advertising; grassroots advocacy; citizen, community, and youth engagement; and research and ideas leadership.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world's largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.

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