The lingering recession has Virginia's leaders looking for ways to spur job growth across the Commonwealth, especially in Page County.

The Governor's Economic Crisis Strike Force held a regional meeting in Middletown Friday to talk to civic leaders in the Valley on how to improve the local economy.

One of the goals of these regional meetings is to encourage people to figure out where the potential is for economic growth.

Rick Black is Luray's town manager and a life-long resident of the Page County.

"Predominately, we've always had people that commuted long distances," says Black about residents leaving Page County to work in Northern Virginia or the Harrisonburg area.

After losing those jobs, people came back to Page County to find few opportunities. This year, unemployment climbed higher than 17 percent.

Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Trade Lyn Hammond says, "I think that we just need to strengthen the employability of our folks overall, and to keep up our efforts to bring jobs into Page County so people don't have to go to Northern Virginia."

How to do that is a point of serious debate.

Del. Todd Gilbert (R-15th) is battling John Lesinski (D) to represent Page County in the General Assembly. Economic recovery is a central issue for the two men.

"We have what we learned about today: a new poor. What we can do for them and what we can do for those that have been unemployed is to go back and extend the unemployment insurance benefits," says Lesinski.

"What I've been very much opposed to in some of the initiatives coming out of Richmond is putting more burdens on the backs of businesses in terms of financial obligations that are going to make it harder for them to hire new employees," says Gilbert.

Many people recognize this is going to be a long-term struggle.

"There's no quick fix to this. And, in order to raise ourselves, we need to raise our education levels over there," says Black.

Employment officials estimate as much as 60 percent of workers in Page County travel outside the county for their job.