Lawmakers, Business Leaders Making Plans To Keep Companies In California

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — With Aerojet ready to leave the Sacramento area, taking more than 1,100 jobs with it, there's a call for action in the business community.

The departure from Rancho Cordova follows a similar move by Verizon last fall that took 1,000 call center jobs from the city.

Rep. Ami Bera and the Greater Sacramento Economic Council wants action to help preserve jobs in the area, saying the moves are a symptom of a larger problem for the state.

"It's time we stop losing jobs," Bera said. "It's time we stop losing companies. It's time to step up and recruit those companies, and keep the ones that want to stay here."

Groups like the Sacramento Region Business Association say it's time to start looking at what can be done regionally.

"Start meeting with all of these top private sector employers, figuring out what are their issues, and if  they're being recruited to go somewhere else—but also it might happen through mergers and acquisitions—we need to be looking at that," said spokesman Josh Wood