State Will Spend $1.2 Million to Attract Visitors to Tourism Industry This Summer

State Will Spend $1.2 Million to Attract Visitors to Tourism Industry This Summer

Connecticut may not have a million reasons for you to move around the state - or visit from nearby - but it does plan to spend a million dollars to encourage visits to tourism attractions in an effort to boost a leading state industry hit hard by COVID-19 closures since March, even as warnings to keep masks on continue.

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Unemployment Filings High in Southeast Connecticut, Industry Impact Varies

Unemployment Filings High in Southeast Connecticut, Industry Impact Varies

As Connecticut and the nation grapple with unprecedented unemployment numbers, an analysis of town-by-town data shows that on a per-capita basis, some of Connecticut’s smaller communities and those in southeast Connecticut are being hit as hard as the state’s largest cities… 12 of the 20 municipalities with the highest level unemployment claims, per capita, during the peak of the pandemic were in southeast Connecticut.

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The Cities Project, Sara Bronin to be Honored by CT Main Street Center

The Cities Project, Sara Bronin to be Honored by CT Main Street Center

Connecticut Main Street Center (CMSC) has announced plans to honor a first-time collaborative journalism initiative in Connecticut, along with the efforts of a local educator, attorney, and architect who has worked at the local, state, and national levels on policy reforms to improve and enhance main streets and revitalize communities.

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Small Business Development Center Among Key Responders to Propel Business Recovery

Small Business Development Center Among Key Responders to Propel Business Recovery

In normal times, Connecticut and the nation would have observed the convergence of national Small Business Week and international Economic Development Week to begin the month of May. This year, due to the coronavirus pandemic, the official observance highlighting small businesses across the country did not take place, even as the focus on economic development and the fate of small businesses sharpened in Connecticut and nationwide.

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CT Launches Small Business Implementation Task Force to Advance Reopening

CT Launches Small Business Implementation Task Force to Advance Reopening

Connecticut’s Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD) launched an “ad hoc task force” developed to provide support to small businesses on how to implement the newly announced regulations impacting a range of industries. Members include representatives of Chambers of Commerce and business organizations throughout the state.

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Residents in CT, Nationwide, Say Don’t Reopen Too Soon, National Survey Reveals

Residents in CT, Nationwide, Say Don’t Reopen Too Soon, National Survey Reveals

A majority of people in the U.S. want to continue physical distancing measures, even as the federal government and numerous states begin moving toward re-opening the economy, according to a national survey. In Connecticut, 81% of respondents believe that state government is “reacting about right” to the coronavirus.

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State Looks to Local Expertise, Nonprofits, Philanthropy to Advance Economic Recovery

State Looks to Local Expertise, Nonprofits, Philanthropy to Advance Economic Recovery

Reopening Connecticut and getting the state back on its economic feed is taking a village of local volunteers. The newest initiative, to include municipal officials, community-based organizations, nonprofit providers, and philanthropic partners – establishes local long-term recovery committees that will help meet urgent needs, accelerate recovery, and expedite coordination with the state’s emergency management structure,

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Businesses Began Work-at-Home Lacking Workforce Readiness and Risk Assessments

Businesses Began Work-at-Home Lacking Workforce Readiness and Risk Assessments

A new report by a Connecticut-headquartered company with expertise in employee assessment reveals that many employees lack the skills and culture to maintain productivity remotely and raises red flags that businesses ought to consider as a result of the sudden, massive shift to employees working from home.

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Multiple CT Connections on New Panel Focused on Restarting Regional Economy

Multiple CT Connections on New Panel Focused on Restarting Regional Economy

Connecticut may have three representatives on the newly appointed 21-member multi-state panel charged by Governors in the region with plotting a course forward to re-start the economy, but the state may receive an extra boost from members representing other states who have more than a cursory awareness of Connecticut.

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