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Va. jobless claims during pandemic exceed Great Recession
While Virginia saw a slight decrease in the number of initial jobless claims last week, the Virginia Employment Commission reported Thursday that the total number of initial claims filed since the beginning of the pandemic is greater than the combined totals filed during the 2007-09 Great Recession and the economic recession in [...]
Va. hotel revenues continued to improve last week
Virginia hotel revenues continued to improve last week, according to data released Wednesday by STR Inc., a CoStar Group division that provides weekly market data on the U.S. hospitality industry. For the week of Aug. 23 through Aug. 29, hotel revenues decreased by 38% and rooms sold declined by 27% compared to the same week […]
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 […]
Eastern Va. restrictions to remain through Labor Day weekend
Gov. Ralph Northam said Tuesday during a news conference that he would not roll back COVID-19-related restrictions in Eastern Virginia prior to Labor Day. On Friday, Virginia Beach Mayor Bobby Dyer sent a letter to Northam asking the governor to allow alcohol sales until 11 p.m. and requesting that the state eliminate the 50% oc[...]
Augusta County expands business relief fund
The Augusta County Economic Development Authority (EDA) announced Tuesday it has expanded its Disaster Recovery Grant Fund to allow businesses that have previously received Paycheck Protection Program loans (PPP) or Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to apply for grants of up to $15,000. “The expansion of our grant fund will allow additional Augusta County businesses […]
Calabash Seafood ordered closed by court
Updated 2:45 p.m. A Hanover County seafood restaurant was ordered closed by a Hanover County Circuit Court judge Tuesday after the restaurant continued to operate with a suspended license due to COVID-19 safety violations. Judge Patricia Kelly issued a temporary restraining order effective as of 10 a.m. Tuesday, temporarily shutting down Mechanicsville’s Calabash Seafood, which […]
Ikea, state pledge $4M for eviction legal assistance
Gov. Ralph Northam announced a $4 million fund Monday that will support 20 Legal Aid attorneys in defending Virginia tenants facing eviction over the next two years. The Ikea U.S. Community Foundation pledged $2 million, based on the unemployment funds its retail workers in Virginia received earlier in the year, and the state’s COVID-19 Relief […]
Frederick County launches $1M business grant program
The Frederick County Economic Development Authority announced Monday it has allocated $1 million of federal CARES Act funds for a business grant program. Applications can be submitted at 8 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 8 through 5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 15. The program will award grants of $5,000, $7,500 and $10,000 to businesses with 2019 annual gross […]
New COVID-19 cases and deaths rise statewide
The number of COVID-19 cases across the state rose by 6,964 over the past week, bringing the total number to 120,594, the Virginia Department of Health reported Aug. 31. The number of virus-related deaths rose by 109 last week, with a total of 2,580 since March. Both statistics saw increases since the previous week, when […]
The VirginiaBusiness.com Top Five
State Sen. Amanda Chase, the only announced GOP candidate for the 2021 gubernatorial race, appeared in two of the top trending stories on VirginiaBusiness.com from July 16 to Aug. 15. Chase refused to wear mask at Harrisonburg restaurant — After campaigning with rocker Ted Nugent, Chase got into a kerfuffle with the owners of Vito’s […]
Staying strong
No one could have predicted 2020 would bring such dramatic changes. Civil unrest after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, coupled with a once-in-a-century pandemic, is accelerating social and economic changes around the country, including in the Richmond region. Once the capital of the Confederacy, Richmond began[...]
