Be Careful How You Count Those Jobs

Last year, Fairfax County was one of the country’s only jurisdictions to show job gains, a fact that the county’s Economic Development Authority likes to point out. Many of those jobs, EDA officials say, came to the county through the agency’s efforts. But executives at some of the businesses the EDA lists as adding jobs or office space dispute the numbers presented by the EDA. Some also said the EDA was not responsible for their decision to expand in the county.

The EDA, a county agency, works to attract and retain businesses from around the world to Fairfax County, touting the area’s high-tech workforce, quality of life and proximity to the country’s center of government and an international airport. A large part of the EDA’s efforts are centered around helping Fairfax businesses expand in the county and launching advertising campaigns overseas to attract foreign companies here.

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