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Fed says Fifth District economy continues to improve, but activity remains low
The economy of the Fifth District of the Federal Reserve (which includes Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, West Virginia and Maryland) has continued to improve in recent weeks, but activity has remained below pre-pandemic levels in most industries, according to the latest edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book, released Wednesday. The Beige Book is published […]
Va. reports 8% unemployment rate for July
Despite the ongoing pandemic, Virginia’s unemployment rate was 2.5% lower than the national average for the month of July, according to statistics released by the Virginia Employment Commission on Wednesday. For the month of July, the U.S. reported a 10.5% unemployment rate while Virginia reported an 8% unemployment rate, a 0.2% improvement from the month […]
Va. saw slight decrease in initial jobless claims last week
More than 11,000 Virginians filed initial jobless claims last week — a decrease of nearly 4,000 claims from the previous week, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. The number of initial claims filed during the Aug. 22 filing week fell to near the average weekly volume in 2009, according to the VEC. However, 249,745 people […]
Va. saw slight uptick in initial jobless claims last week
More than 15,000 Virginians filed initial jobless claims last week — an increase of more than 1,800 claims from the previous week, according to the Virginia Employment Commission. “The increase in initial claims for unemployment benefits in Virginia reverses the trend of declining claims over the last two weeks,” Dominique Johnson, research associate with Old […]
Va. hotel revenue inching upward
Hotel revenues in Virginia continued to incrementally improve last week, according to new data from STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group providing market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. During the week of Aug. 9 through Aug. 15, hotel revenues in Virginia decreased by 44% and rooms sold declined by 32%, compared to the […]
U.S. hotel industry faces foreclosure wave
The U.S. hotel industry is facing an historic wave of foreclosures due to the pandemic, according to findings released Tuesday from the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), but Virginia might be an exception — for now. “We are not seeing much in the way of foreclosures or defaults as of yet,” says Virginia Restaurant, […]
Construction backlog declines in July
The Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) national trade association announced Tuesday its Construction Backlog Indicator (CBI) declined to 7.8 months in July, a decrease of 0.3 months from June — which, in turn, has decreased contractor optimism. The CBI is a forward-looking national economic indicator that shows work construction companies are contracted to do in […]
Va. initial jobless claims dropped 46% last week
Initial unemployment claims in Virginia fell by 46% last week, according to a Thursday release from the Virginia Employment Commission. More than 13,000 Virginians filed initial jobless claims last week — a decrease of more than 10,000 claims from the previous week, according to a VEC statement released Thursday. For the first time since the […]
Dominion Energy directs $1M to help small businesses, residents pay energy bills
Virginia small businesses and residential customers can receive additional support to pay their energy bills through Richmond-based Dominion Energy Inc.’s EnergyShare program, the company announced Thursday. Small businesses, nonprofit organizations and houses of worship can receive up to $1,000 to go toward unpaid Dominion Energy Virginia electric bills that have accrued during the pandemic[...]
Va. hotel revenues improved only 1% last week
Hotel revenues in Virginia improved by only 1% last week and still remain at a 45% decrease compared to the same week last year, according to new data from STR Inc., a division of CoStar Group providing market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. The week before last, STR reported a 46% decrease in Virginia […]
More than 10% of Va. students don’t have broadband access at home
While Virginia school districts and higher education institutions are finalizing fall plans in light of the pandemic, an analysis released Wednesday by the State Council on Higher Education for Virginia (SCHEV) shows that more than 200,000 K-12 students and more than 60,000 college students in Virginia lack broadband access at home. These numbers reflect 14% […]
State awards $278K to COVID-19 economic recovery projects
Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that the state has awarded $278,000 among 18 economic revitalization projects in Virginia as part of the state’s COVID-19 economic recovery plan. “Downtown districts are the lifeblood of our communities and our local economies and they need our support now more than ever,” Northam said in a statement. “Main Street […]
