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Va. labor market stayed strong in February
Virginia’s labor market remained strong in February, although growth is slowing, according to employment data from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Virginia had a net gain of 3,200 jobs in February. The Virginia state government employment was previously 12,000 jobs below the February 2020 level, but the state government nearly halved that deficit last […]
Bills to ensure workers paid sick days failed in Va. House
RICHMOND, Va. — The Virginia General Assembly did not pass legislation this session to ensure paid sick days for employees, despite strong public support. A 2021 study by Christopher Newport University found almost 90% of people surveyed support paid sick leave. Both House and Senate versions of the bill updated the current law that state […]
Take a load off
One thing Brian Dail noticed as he spent a day and a half in February 2020 participating in step van manufacturer Morgan Olson’s new hire training in Loudon, Tennessee, was the physical strain. After the first hour, he told his colleagues, “‘Gosh, I’m not used to being on my feet. I’m ready to sit down.’” […]
Resetting the bar
Two venerable Virginia law firms — Roanoke’s Woods Rogers PLC and Norfolk’s Vandeventer Black LLP — combined forces in July 2022, creating the state’s fifth largest firm, Woods Rogers Vandeventer Black PLC, based in Roanoke. It’s a true statewide firm, with branch offices in Norfolk, Richmond, Lynchburg and Charlottesville, in addition to locations in Kitty […]
‘Inferiority complex’ no more
As recently as 30 years ago, few people would have imagined that Fairfax County would grow to contain one of the most robust technology ecosystems in the nation, with thousands of tech-fueled firms, fed with workers trained by some of the state’s top universities. Bruce Caswell, president and CEO of McLean-based federal tech contractor Maximus […]
Va. nursing homes, assisted living facilities struggle with staffing
Virginia’s nursing homes and assisted living facilities continue to struggle with staffing shortages, according to a Virginia Health Care Association-Virginia Center for Assisted Living survey released in December. Of 154 long-term care providers who responded to the survey, 86% said their workforce situation worsened in 2022 compared with 2020, an increase of five percentage points [&hellip[...]
Barkin: To address inflation, U.S. must rethink labor
As the U.S. moves to a short-labor environment, it will be necessary for businesses, governments and nonprofits to reassess their approach to labor, Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond President and CEO Tom Barkin said Friday in Richmond. Speaking at the Virginia Chamber‘s 2022 Virginia Economic Summit and Forum on International Trade, Barkin said that although […]
Chesapeake Walmart shooting raises workplace violence concerns
UPDATED NOV. 27 Late Tuesday, a Chesapeake Walmart manager shot and killed six people, wounded at least six more and then killed himself, police said. According to police and media reports, all six of those slain were Walmart employees and two were killed in the break room. On Wednesday, Walmart’s corporate office released a statement […]
Site Selection ranks Va. 1st for biz climate
Virginia rose to first place in Site Selection magazine’s 2022 Business Climate Rankings. The commonwealth unseated North Carolina and ranked above Georgia, which had an eight-year streak in the top spot. Last year, Virginia was tied for 10th place. “I’m pleased that Virginia has won the best business climate; it’s incredibly exciting to see the […]
A step up the ladder
Internships often help college students learn what they want to do as a profession by expanding their horizons, providing on-the-job experience or helping them change paths to follow a new passion. For instance, an internship helped Virginia Commonwealth University student Oscar Kemp discover that his interest in domestic social work applied just as well to […]
Accelerating the solar workforce
When local school systems decided to add solar arrays to their buildings, regional environmental nonprofit Appalachian Voices and other members of the Solar Workgroup of Southwest Virginia counted it as a victory in their six-year efforts to develop a renewable energy cluster in Virginia’s coalfield counties. In January, Southwest Virginia Community College and Mountain Empire […]
Virginia companies weigh office returns
Many companies in Virginia are taking a flexible approach on whether employees must return to work in offices or continue working remotely or via hybrid models. For instance, Capital One Financial Corp., the McLean-based credit card company, is planning to reopen its U.S. offices in a hybrid model on Sept. 6. Capital One delayed its […]
