The start of September signals a large amount of seasonal change for members of our community. Schools have started, fall sports have kicked off and maybe the back up of cars and RV’s coming into the harbor won’t extend too far past the bluff!
Seasonal changes related to the economy will also be noticed. As of September 6th, pandemic related unemployment benefits have ceased. It is believed that the discontinuation of these benefits will result in more workers returning to the workforce. The county’s most recent (July 2021) unemployment numbers indicate a 6.4% unemployment rate, currently the third highest in the state but lower than historic unemployment numbers in January 2020 (8.2%) and February (7.7%). Even in July of 2019 the county’s unemployment rate was slightly higher (6.6%). With fewer folks receiving benefits and looking for work the relief that local employers are hoping for might not come as quickly as expected.
An essential part of our economic and workforce recovery is the return to in-school learning. If schools can safely open and remain open, families that have been forced out of the workforce due to remote learning could feel confident about returning to work. The opening of schools for in-person learning should give everyone great optimism and merit community wide support and enthusiasm.
On September 28th GGHI’s monthly Virtual Business Forum will feature an Aberdeen City Council Candidate Forum. This forum will exclusively focus on business and the economy. Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. will partner with local media groups The Daily World, AlphaMedia and Jodesha Broadcasting for forum development and promotions. To register and review the status of candidate participation click here.
On October 12th the Ocean Shores Branch of Greater Grays Harbor, Inc. will also moderate a candidate forum for the City of Ocean Shores candidate races. This community event is sponsored by Ocean Shores area realtors and while free to the community, pre-registration is highly encouraged. Visit this link to register and review the status of candidate participation.
Attendees will be able to submit questions during the online registration process for both events. We encourage all interested parties to take advantage of this submission process as it helps create a relevant question and answer experience.
Like many of you, our team at GGHI is navigating current COVID-19 data and assessing the best methods to continue our work during this extended period of uncertainty. We wanted to take a moment to thank our local employers for working so hard to maintain operations and levels of service. It has been hard and due to the circumstances, some of you have had record performance during the most challenging of times while others have done everything in your power to just keep the lights on. GGHI continues to advocate for meaningful relief options, resources, and guidelines. If you need information check out our COVID-19 resource page. If you have questions, call us at (360) 532-7888!