Clallam netWorks officials believe it’s an achievable goal based in reality: Raise Clallam County’s current average annual salary from $23,600 to $31,250 by 2007.

“We have decided to draw the line in the sand and say this is not acceptable,” Jim Haguewood, Clallam County Economic Development Council executive director, said.

“The underlying issue is wage disparity and our trouble with keeping up with the rest of the state.”

By 2007, Clallam netWorks’ goal is to create 2,285 new jobs, each averaging $40,000 a year, and upgrade 5,000 existing jobs by $5,000 a year, Haguewood said.

The numbers, he said, were based on a projected 2007 Clallam County population of 70,000 and labor industry trends.

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The rest of the story appears in the Monday Peninsula Daily News. Click on SUBSCRIBE to get the PDN delivered to your home or office.