CenturyLink, a telecommunications provider formed by the acquisition of Embarq Corporation by CenturyTel this past July, will add 350 new jobs and maintain its corporate headquarters in Monroe, Louisiana, according to the Louisiana governor's office. The company will add 100 jobs in 2010, an additional 150 in 2011, and 50 per year in 2012 and 2013. The jobs must be maintained through at least 2019, with an average annual salary of at least $45,000 plus benefits. In exchange, the state has offered CenturyLink performance-based grants of up to $5 million over four years for personnel relocation costs and up to $600,000 over two years to defray air transportation costs associated with the merger; the company will also have access to state training assistance. "Our growth opportunities across the nation and here in Louisiana represent an exciting future for our company and our employees," says Glen Post, CenturyLink's president and CEO. "Our people are the engine that drives our success, and we will continue to add jobs and training to enhance the quality of our work force."
