industrial heartland: the area where
most industry is
is unwilling to discuss its decision: does not want to
talk about what it has decided to do
turned: became
firm stance: if you have a firm stance, your attitude
to something is unlikely to change
high unemployment: a large number
of people without jobs
some estimates put: according
to some approximate calculations
twice the national rate: twice
as high as the average level for the whole country
to the tune of: to the extent
of
cut costly production: stop producing
things which are not profitable
bail out: if a government bails
out industry, it helps, for example with subsidies
