Despite the major losses many small businesses have experienced since the start of the government shutdowns in March, there are still great signs for those in essential categories who are experiencing the need to hire. Expectations of workers in the age of COVID-19 have become clearer: Workers want to feel safe, valued and given opportunities to grow. This is not a new … [More]
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U.S. Department of Labor Awards $646 Million in Employment Service Grants to States
U.S. Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor announced the disbursement of $646 million in Employment Service Grants to improve the functioning of the nation’s labor markets by providing labor exchange services to all job seekers and helping businesses to meet their hiring needs by referring qualified workers. The Wagner-Peyser Act of 1933, amended by the Workforce Innovation and … [More]
Metro Phoenix AMC Theatres to Open by Friday, September 4
AMC
Moviegoers throughout the United States are once again enjoying the magic of the big screen at AMC Theatres, and with every passing week that magic gets more accessible. By this weekend 70% of all U.S. AMCs will have resumed operations, as AMC will welcome guests at approximately 420 theatres nationwide. AMC will open more than 140 theatres this week, with the vast majority of … [More]
Arizona Gets More Than $2 Million to Combat Unemployment Insurance Fraud
U.S. Department of Labor
The U.S. Department of Labor today announced $100 million in funding to support state efforts to combat fraud and recover improper payments in the Unemployment Insurance (UI) program, including those programs created under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. At the same time, the Department’s Employment and Training Administration (ETA) … [More]
Executive Order Delaying Expiration of Driver Licenses One Year
State of Arizona Office of the Governor
As Arizona continues to take proactive measures to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, Governor Ducey today issued an Executive Order deferring requirements to renew standard driver licenses that have an expiration date between March 1, 2020 and December 31, 2020 by one year from their original expiration date. This action will minimize in-person visits to Arizona Motor Vehicle … [More]
Changing the Way LLCs Do Business
by Stockton Banfield
Small and mid-sized businesses, the majority of which are limited liability companies (LLCs), are the lifeblood of Arizona’s economy. But the way they are doing business — particularly managing themselves — is changing thanks to new rules governing all LLCs in the state going into effect on Sept. 1. When the Arizona legislature enacted the first Limited Liability Company Act … [More]
Industry-Specific Report: Small Business Economy Update
NFIB
The NFIB Research Center released a Small Business Economic Trends Industry-specific survey highlighting the construction, manufacturing, retail, and services industries. NFIB released a previous quarterly report in May 2020. “Small businesses are working hard to stay open while they continue to navigate the coronavirus pandemic,” says Holly Wade, NFIB Director of Research … [More]
July Home Price Appreciation Reached Highest Level Since 2018, Phoenix Tops Risk of Decline List
CoreLogic
CoreLogic, a leading global property information, analytics and data-enabled solutions provider, today released the CoreLogic Home Price Index (HPI™) and HPI Forecast™ for July 2020. Nationally, home prices increased 5.5% in July 2020, compared with July 2019, and were up 1.2% compared to last month, when home prices increased 4.3%. In July, annual home price growth … [More]
Arizona Taking Action to Prepare for Dual COVID-19, Influenza Epidemics
State of Arizona Office of the Governor
As Arizona continues efforts to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19, state health agencies and the Governor’s Office are partnering with health care providers and businesses to prepare for the upcoming flu season. Governor Doug Ducey today was joined by leaders representing hospitals, pharmacies, doctors, nurses, public health, universities and more to announce a plan of action … [More]
Report: State of Hotel Industry 6 Months into COVID-19, Layoffs and Lowest Occupancy
American Hotel & Lodging Association
The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released an analysis on the economic and human struggle of the hotel industry six months into the COVID-19 pandemic, with millions of employees still furloughed or laid off and travel demand lagging far behind normal levels. Key findings of the report include: Four out of 10 hotel employees are still not working. … [More]
Personal Income Increased 0.4% in July, Impacted by Spread of COVID-19
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Personal income increased $70.5 billion (0.4 percent) in July according to estimates released today by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. Disposable personal income (DPI) increased $39.9 billion (0.2 percent) and personal consumption expenditures (PCE) increased $267.6 billion (1.9 percent). Real DPI decreased 0.1 percent in July and Real PCE increased 1.6 percent (tables 5 … [More]
As Schools Reopen, Questions about Eligibility for Paid Leave and Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Come Up
U.S. Department of Labor
Today, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division (WHD) and Employment and Training Administration (ETA) both published guidance related to the reopening of schools. WHD has released Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for workers and employers about qualifying for paid leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA). The new FAQs issued today … [More]
Nine Major Corporations and Brands Commit Funding to Help Implement Arizona’s Drought Contingency Plan
Rick McCartney
Business For Water Stewardship (BWS) announced the transfer of over $1.5 million in corporate and philanthropic funding to support Arizona’s efforts to increase water supply reliability through a system conservation project with the Colorado River Indian Tribes (CRIT). The funds were provided by leading corporations and brands including Intel Corp.; Microsoft; Cox; The … [More]
Gov. Ducey Deploys More Than 150 Arizona National Guard Troops to Support Public Safety in Wisconsin
State of Arizona Office of the Governor
In response to a request from the State of Wisconsin, more than 150 Arizona National Guard Citizen-Soldiers from the 850th Military Police Battalion have been activated and will be sent to support Wisconsin in the wake of recent unrest. The Arizona National Guard has been activated to surge law enforcement capacity in the State of Wisconsin to assist in providing a safe … [More]
Businesses to Reopen in Low COVID-19 Transmission-Level Counties, Cautioned to Comply
Arizona Department of Health Services
As of today, a total of 8 counties, Apache, Cochise, Coconino, La Paz, Maricopa, Navajo, Pima, and Yavapai, are in the moderate transmission level. Most counties that have yet to reach moderate benchmarks for COVID-19 have metrics moving in the right direction. One county, Greenlee, has reached the minimal transmission level. This is a credit to all of the things Arizonans … [More]
Weekly Jobless Claims Again Reach More Than 1 Million, Prolonging Economic Concerns
U.S. Department of Labor
In the week ending August 22, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 1,006,000, a decrease of 98,000 from the previous week's revised level. The previous week's level was revised down by 2,000 from 1,106,000 to 1,104,000. The 4-week moving average was 1,068,000, a decrease of 107,250 from the previous week's revised average. The previous week's average … [More]
GDP Decreased at Annual Rate of 31.7% in Q2, Says Updated Estimate
U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
Real gross domestic product (GDP) decreased at an annual rate of 31.7 percent in the second quarter of 2020 (table 1), according to the "second" estimate released by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In the first quarter, real GDP decreased 5.0 percent. The GDP estimate released today is based on more complete source data than were available for the "advance" estimate … [More]
Fed Shifts Policies for Longer Periods of Lower Interest Rates
Federal Reserve Board
Following an extensive review that included numerous public events across the country, the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on Thursday announced the unanimous approval of updates to its Statement on Longer-Run Goals and Monetary Policy Strategy, which articulates its approach to monetary policy and serves as the foundation for its policy actions. The updates reflect … [More]
