Economics

B2B Stories

Mondays with Rick: Efforts to increase financial literacy

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, with statistics showing that less than a third of Americans qualify as financially literate, he discusses some proposals to increase financial literacy, especially among students. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: Let’s start by defining what is meant by financial literacy. Rick: Financial literacy is being able to manage your own personal finances. It’s understanding things like budgeting, credit, investments, interest rates,

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Simon Says: Economic choices during pandemic have consequences in education

October is National Bullying Prevention Month and finally, some good news from the pandemic. Bullying and cyberbullying dropped 30-35 percent as schools shifted to online learning in the spring of 2022. Given that one-fifth of high school students report being bullied each year and 16 percent are cyberbullied, this is a substantial decrease, amounting to about 1 million high schoolers. The negative effects of bullying are depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and behaviors. These harmful effects result in physical, mental, and economic challenges in adulthood for both the bullied and the

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More money needed for state’s air cargo industry

  Report says Georgia needs to invest more money in air cargo improvements to compete and the tiny house festival is coming to Georgia. Enjoy the new video format of the Georgia Business Daily Business Update by Mike Petchenik.

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Mondays with Rick: Budget surplus gives Georgia economic boost

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about Georgia’s strong economy. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: Economic news lately often seems bleak, but things are a bit different for the state of Georgia. Even after filling the Rainy Day Fund (which allows the state government to keep running during an economic downturn) to its legal limit, we had a surplus of $6.58 billion. What’s the story

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Simon Says: Manufacturing, housing growth slows nationally and in Augusta

Last week, the Institute for Supply Management reported that U.S. manufacturing activity grew at its slowest pace since May 2020. Manufacturing is still expanding (the index stands at 50.9 with anything over 50 indicating expansion); however, the employment part of the index fell from 54.2 to 48.7 indicating contraction. Locally, manufacturing employment has fallen slightly from a recent high of 24,100 in June to 23,850 in August. Nationally, manufacturing makes up 11.9 percent of the U.S. economy and 11.6 percent (2020) in the Augusta Metropolitan Statistical Area. Manufacturing accounts for

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A new place to fill up your car and belly

  Wawa, a convenience store/gas station chain popular in Florida is coming to Georgia and an electric vehicle manufacturer is denied a huge tax break. Enjoy the new video format of the Augusta Business Daily Business Update by Mike Petchenik.

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Mondays with Rick: The two pieces of training employees

  Dr. Rick Franza, Dean of the Hull College of Business, discusses a different, timely business topic each Monday in this column. This week, he talks about the importance of training employees. The interview has been edited for clarity and impact. ABD: The customer experience of any business that deals with the public, especially restaurants and retail stores, often depends on their interaction with the employees. How important is it to provide good training for your employees? Rick: It’s critically important, but it’s part of a bigger picture. Make training

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Augusta’s economic developers receive national honor

In his role as President of the Augusta Economic Development Authority, one of Cal Wray’s responsibilities is to bring new businesses to Augusta. For the second year in a row, his efforts have been recognized. Wray has been named one of North America’s Top 50 Economic Developers for 2022 by Consultant Connect, a national firm that helps to connect site selection consultants with economic developers. He was also selected in 2015. Honorees are chosen by their peers and site selectors. “To me, it’s always exciting because those you work with

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Simon Says: Slow economy ahead but not a cause for worry

The Augusta Leading Economic Index (LEI) fell 0.2 percent in July from June, the first monthly decrease since November 2020. It remains 5.3 percent higher than in July 2021, though the rate of increase has halved from November 2021. Adverse movements were seen in initial claims for unemployment insurance and real deposits in local banks. The positive movement was seen in residential permits and the Dow Jones Industrial Average (at the end of July). Job openings were essentially unchanged. Because job openings are the last bit of data used in

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Georgia ranks No. 1 – in business

  Georgia is once again named the best place for business and Georgia Power wants to hike its rates. Enjoy the new video format of the Augusta Business Daily Business Update by Mike Petchenik.  

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