After a year of high job growth in 2007, Fairfax County’s economic development director is predicting slower growth for 2008.
According to the county’s annual economic development report, released Monday, 102 companies added 9,102 jobs to the county in 2007.
“I think this was one of our banner years,” said Gerry Gordon, president of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.
But Gordon predicted that 2008 would see a slowdown, with the number of new jobs likely falling to between 4,000 and 6,000. He attributed the change to a weakened economy and the upcoming handoff to a new presidential administration, which may affect how much federal contracting is done in the region.
Gordon cited Volkswagen’s September decision to relocate its U.S. headquarters to Herndon, bringing 400 jobs with it, as one of the year’s highlights.
Gordon predicted the news could convince other auto manufacturers to do the same in 2008, and said the county has had conversations with some auto companies about that possibility.
Also during 2007, 20 foreign-owned businesses relocated or expanded in Fairfax, and area companies received $26.6 million in venture capital funding.
The firm to add the most jobs in the region was Fairfax-based Perot Systems, which added 537.
Perot Systems has an additional 700 job openings for work with the federal government. Many of the jobs require security clearances and are based in Northern Virginia, D.C. and West Virginia, according to spokeswoman Dustee Tucker.
“It’s been an exciting time,” Tucker said.
