Wed, April 08, 2026

Facebook-f Youtube Instagram
Newsletter Sign up
Show Support
Menu

Economics
B2B Stories

For employers, it’s a war out there!

The Georgia Chamber Foundation has issued its 4th quarter economic report, and the title, the War for Talent, sums up what the state is facing. The report looks at where Georgia stands in filling current job openings and anticipating future needs. It states that Georgia’s current workforce participation rate is about 61%, meaning 40% of adults are not engaged in the workforce. That translates to 3.2 million Georgians. At the same time, there are more than 350,000 job openings in each quarter. The Chamber Foundation says the War for Talent

Read More »
dana-lynn-mcintyre December 4, 2023 No Comments
B2B Podcasting

Sparkling holiday shopping news

The weather outside was not frightful and the shopping was delightful for retailers between Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Mike Petchenik has a sled full of good news in today’s Biz Bits.

Read More »
mike-petchenik December 4, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Finally, a small ray of light in the recent LMI report

Editor’s note: If you read Dana Lynn McIntyre’s story from the Georgia Chamber Foundation, you know the struggle is real for finding workers. However, there is a bright spot in the latest employment numbers for Augusta. The Augusta Labor Market Index increased 0.2 percent in October from September. This constitutes five consecutive months of growth. The index now stands 0.3 percent higher than a year ago, the first time it has shown year-on-year growth since October 2022. Three components of the index grew month-on-month. Employment increased by 1,000 to stand

Read More »
dr-simon-medcalfe December 4, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Robust sales report kicks off Christmas buying

Gloomy predictions for a less-than-healthy holiday sales season were dispelled by a report this week from the National Retail Federation (NRF). During the five-day period from Black Friday through Cyber Monday, NRF found a record 200.4 million consumers hit stores and websites. That surpasses last year’s 196.7 million and far exceeds the NRF’s prediction of 182 million shoppers. “We attribute that turnout to a number of factors certainly,” said NRF President and CEO, Matthew Shay. “It speaks to the way consumers are feeling, but also the deals that were out

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre November 29, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Making sure Georgia gets a big bang for its buck

There’s no doubt that tax incentives have been effective in attracting new businesses in the CSRA and across the state, but a panel of Georgia lawmakers is holding meetings to make sure there is a balance. The Joint Tax Credit Review panel is an offshoot of the 2023 legislative session. The credits are to attract new businesses to locate in the Peach State. Elected officials want to determine which credits are working, which aren’t, and if any need to be revised or terminated. “They are designed to stimulate economic growth.

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre November 27, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Simon Says: Learning more about the turning tide of recession

Given my record in forecasting sporting events, I may not be the best person to provide an economic forecast. Nevertheless, that is what I will be doing at 7:30 am on Thursday, December 7th, in the Roscoe Ballroom on the Augusta University Summerville Campus. The event is free and open to the public, but we ask that you register by emailing hull@augusta.edu, so we can manage the food and beverages appropriately. Last year, I presented four indicators of recession and two of them indicated an economic downturn and two did

Read More »
Dr. Simon Medcalfe November 27, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Small businesses hope shoppers think local for Christmas joy

CSRA small businesses hope shoppers will remember the old saying, “Home is where the heart is,” and support local merchants this season. The biggest shopping day of the year is Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving when the Christmas shopping season officially begins. Traditionally, shoppers head to the big box stores to score bargains. But a day later, the spotlight turns to small, local businesses for Small Business Saturday. More than a dozen businesses in downtown Augusta will participate in the third annual Small Business Saturday (SBS) Crawl, sponsored by

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre November 21, 2023 No Comments
B2B Stories

Lower unemployment taxes for South Carolina businesses

A robust economy paved the way for South Carolina to ease a tax paid by businesses. For the third year in a row, the state’s unemployment insurance (UI) tax rates will decrease or hold steady in 2024. Gov. Henry McMaster (R) made the announcement earlier this month, saying there is no better time to be in business in the Palmetto State. “The state’s leadership has worked hard to make strong financial decisions that maintain a healthy unemployment insurance trust fund which will benefit employers in the coming year,” said McMaster.

Read More »
Dana Lynn McIntyre November 20, 2023 No Comments
Load More