As we enter 2009, the state of the national and local economy is the primary concern for us all. Under the threat of living in the worst economic times in recent history, it is imperative that we re-examine how we do things in growing and strengthening our economy.

All businesses and their employees are being impacted in one way or another. Not a day goes by when we do not hear about a local establishment closing its door, employees losing jobs and businesses cutting back on expenses. This uncertainty erodes our confidence, both individually and collectively, which in turn impacts our need for social services and our livelihood.

Perhaps the good news is that for the first time in a long time, we can all focus on a common goal of improving our economy. This will require an unusual but necessary alliance of government, business and labor to collectively sacrifice, commit and develop a game plan for us that will stimulate the economy. Although these economic challenges will not go away anytime soon, we believe this is an opportunity for the various stakeholders to collaborate and have the discipline to work toward a common purpose of restoring confidence in an economy that will promote job retention and creation in the most beneficial way.

In difficult times, it is easy to be focused only on the problems and potential solutions that impact you or your business. That's understandable when the kinds of problems we face are ones of economic survival.

But it is also in these difficult times that we must look beyond our individual wants and focus on the "greater good." With limited resources, and with time running out on many businesses, we need to focus on the economy. Retaining and creating jobs must be our priority. Without work, without jobs, we will find ourselves in a downward spiral that negatively impacts all aspects of our society.

And so while there are many problems and issues that are critically important to each of us, we believe now is the time to set aside those differences and focus on our immediate need of job retention and creation. Right now, today, we need to focus on keeping our economy going, our people working, our families in their homes and schools.

In Hawai'i, our strength is our commitment to each other, to our 'ohana. We have united in the past when faced with a common enemy, and today that common enemy is a recession. Let us unite again as a community and remain focused and steadfast in our search for solutions to the economic times. It is this expression of faith in our ability to work together that will enable us to overcome the trepidation and fear that we are experiencing.

The cornerstone of our state has always been its people and the willingness and commitment to step up in times of need. During the 2009 legislative session, we must approach legislative process with the singular goal of finding solutions to the economic downturn. We must focus on employment, on retaining and creating jobs, and collectively on achieving positive results for Hawai'i and our citizens.

Jim Tollefson is president and CEO of The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii. Melissa Pavlicek is the state director of The National Federation of Independent Business. They wrote this commentary for The Advertiser.