Patrick jumps on jobs bandwagon

Jobs play central role as race for corner office heats up Gov. attempts to steer the state out of financial crisis; foes look to pounce on his policy

As Washington leaders work furiously on national job creation legislation, their Beacon Hill counterparts are now doing the same. Tomorrow, Gov. Deval Patrick is expected to detail plans that include offering a $2,500 tax credit for every new job a small business adds — a move that could wind up creating 20,000 positions.

“Historically, economic recovery has been driven by small businesses, so we think it’s [important] to continue working with them and provide them with some new tools,” said Cyndi Roy, spokeswoman for the state’s Executive Office for Administration & Finance.

Meanwhile, the state’s unemployment rate has climbed to 9.4 percent and more than 323,000 people were out of work as of December. Voter frustration partially fueled Republican Scott Brown’s rise to the U.S. Senate, a stunning outcome that signaled a warning to Bay State Democrats, including Gov. Patrick, whose poll numbers have been slumping.

Putting more people back to work this year would give his re-election bid a major boost.