Jahd Khalil reports
Industries like retail, healthcare and social assistance, and food service are still seeing the most claims, the VEC said in the release. Part of that is they have the deepest losses to recover from.
“Obviously the high touch in-person sectors took the hardest, hit leisure and hospitality as a sector by far leading the losses in COVID,” said Renee Haltom, the regional executive for the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Haltom speaks with business and community leaders to hear how they are experiencing the economy.
“What businesses seem most optimistic about is that demand is basically back,” she said. “The number one concern I'd probably say is challenges finding workers.