Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Hey, It Could Be Worse

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by

James A. Bacon
in

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Between March 4 and April 18, unemployment claims in Virginia amounted to 10.9% of baseline jobs, according to this map issued by the Virginia Economic Development Partnership. That’s horrendous, but things could be worse. The U.S. average is 14.3% — and the Old Dominion’s job loss is less than half that of Michigan’s at 23.9%. (With the evaporation of 21.3% of Georgia’s jobs, you can better understand why the Governor Brian Kemp is taking big risks to roll back the shutdown and salvage the economy.)

VEDP President Stephen Moret provides this explanation for the Commonwealth’s less-dire circumstance: “Virginia is doing better than most other states in large part because we have a larger-than-average proportion of our total employment in professional jobs and federal government-related jobs that are less sensitive to social distancing policies.”

— JAB

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6 responses to “Hey, It Could Be Worse”

  1. TBill Avatar
    TBill

    Another benefit of being heavily dependent on Uncle Sam for our economy.

    The thing I am looking at, New York City and other cities are screaming for $billions in relief aid, which I assume might skew the aid dollars away from Virginia, since we do not have large urban needs, but maybe we get our aid already.

    1. Steve Haner Avatar
      Steve Haner

      Exactly. This is when it’s a good thing to have the federal employees and contractors. Shipyard still operating.

      1. Reed Fawell 3rd Avatar
        Reed Fawell 3rd

        Regarding the historic relationship between the States and the Federal Governments, consider what might well have happened to the states had this Coved-19 virus hit during the Obama Administration. In so doing, consider what actions the Obama Administration took when Congress declined to pass laws that Obama demanded. How Obama’s then enforced imaginary laws under his “Presidential Pen and Phone Doctrine.” Or how Obama neutered all existing laws that he didn’t agree with by simply ignoring and refusing to enforce those laws.

        In this way, Obama erased the US Constitution’s separation of powers between the federal administrative branch, and the federal legislative branch, and thus usurped the power of Congress. Notice too, how this Obama federal usurpation of Congress’s power and jurisdiction, had the perverse affect of invading and abusing states rights and jurisdiction, going deep into the arena of state’s rights and stripping states of their lawful power and authority.

        For example, Obama’s investigations of city police forces using the Federal Justice Department and FBI. No wonder the Justice Department and FBI was deeply corrupted by Obama.

        Here, today, with this crisis, why would Obama not dictate harsh terms to the states that are now broke, and pleading for help, reducing them surrogates (vassals states) of the Federal Government? Like he did with public colleges and universities. If past be prologue, Obama surely would.

        This is why my earlier suggestion that Virginia was on its way to becoming a vassal of Federal government like the Greek City states became vassals of Rome was no joke, but likely Virginia’s future too, if it does not clean up its act.

  2. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    Because this blog is supposed to be about Virginia issues and politics, I will largely ignore this baseless rant, except to note that the author apparently does not think police departments should be accountable for violating the civil liberties of its citizen.

    1. Nancy_Naive Avatar
      Nancy_Naive

      Why not? The SCOTUS is now a political hack job. Do you think civil liberties will be upheld by a vote of 5 to 4 anymore?

  3. DeptOfTyranny Avatar
    DeptOfTyranny

    “[North] Virginia is doing better than most other states in large part because we have a larger-than-average proportion of our total employment in professional jobs and federal government-related jobs that are less sensitive to social distancing policies.”

    As for the Real Virginia, “Fifth District manufacturing activity declined sharply in April, according to the most recent survey from the Richmond Fed. The composite index plummeted from 2 in March to −53 in April, its lowest reading and largest one-month drop on record. ”

    https://www.richmondfed.org/research/regional_economy/surveys_of_business_conditions/manufacturing

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