Few permanent pipeline jobs (Keystone XL)

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.omaha.com/article/20120214/NEWS01/702149897/0#few-permanent-pipeline-jobs

Published Tuesday February 14, 2012

TransCanada Corp.'s Keystone XL oil pipeline, heralded by supporters as a major job creator, may add few permanent positions once the $7 billion project is built.

The number of people needed to operate and maintain the 1,661-mile pipeline may be as few as 20, according to the State Department, or as many as a few hundred, according to TransCanada.

"I don't see a big jobs impact," said Stephen Fuller, director of the Center for Regional Analysis at George Mason University in Arlington, Va. "It gets the oil into refineries that already exist. It's like replacing a bridge on the highway."

The debate in Washington has focused on short-term construction and manufacturing jobs, rather than on permanent ones. Estimates for construction and manufacturing employment range from 2,500 to 20,000, depending on assumptions of how much of the project's budget will be spent in the United States. The company says some of the steel will be made in Canada and India.

FULL story at link.

[1ProudAtheist]

1. But

the right wing investors....er...I mean supporters said that this debacle would create 20,000 jobs. Me thinks they were gaming the system.

[liberal N proud]

2. Those who will be working on it believe they are getting permanent jobs

It is the latest great white hope that my brother thinks he sees as he chases off to work on it.

[xchrom]

3. Du rec. Nt

[GoCubsGo]

4. But, it will eventually create lots more.

When the thing bursts and spills that toxic goop all over the place, it will take thousands of people to clean it up. However, given the number of Superfund sites around this country that have been sitting there, untouched, for decades, I wouldn't hold my breath on people getting hired to clean up that mess, either.

[Nuclear Unicorn]

5. No construction job is permanent

my boss is trying to land a hotel building contract. It should employ roughly 250 workers for about 13 months. Few if any of those jobs will last the entire 13 months and once the project is completed all of them go away -- even my bosses -- until we land the next client.

There are plenty of environmental concerns but this is a red herring.