Putting Delaware Back to Work: Economic Recovery in the First State

Issue 6.18

May 1, 2020

Message from the President

In a joint letter sent to Governor Carney, the Delaware State Chamber of Commerce and Delaware Business Roundtable proposed a series of strategic policy recommendations. The combination of a carefully considered, phased reopening of Delaware businesses and the implementation of a series of strategic policy changes will put Delaware and our citizens in a healthy and economically secure position in the future.

Along with the letter, we sent:

The COVID-19 Prevention Best Practices guide, which was created to encourage businesses to start thinking about how to safely prepare weeks before a reopening occurs.
A proposal with a series of strategic policy recommendations with consideration that the economic recovery from the pandemic will take far longer than any of us may have initially imagined. We put together a piece called, Putting Delaware Back to Work: Economic Recovery in the First State, which summarizes the policy recommendations.

With appropriate spending prioritization, creative use of federal stimulus funds and a careful balance between use of state operating funds and the state’s bonding authority, we are certain that Delaware can meet this challenge.

Download COVID-19 Prevention Best Practices

Download Putting Delaware Back to Work: Economic Recovery in the First State

COVID-19 IMPACT ON

KEY DELAWARE INDUSTRIES

What the Philly Fed is seeing now and what we may see in the future

TUESDAY, MAY 12 | 10:00 AM

Patrick Harker, president & chief executive officer of the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia ( bio ) will provide regional economic outlook with a focus on Delaware’s economy. Harker will also take a deep dive on key industries, including manufacturing and construction, agriculture, restaurants and hospitality, banking and finance, and the legal sector.

Join us to learn where we were prior to the outbreak, what the Fed is seeing in terms of impacts on these critical Delaware industries, what recovery time could look like and permanent industry changes we may see.

Sponsored by: WSFS Bank

Need a Job?

Short-term training

may be the answer

According to the results of a recent higher education study, more than half of parents surveyed believe college costs do not justify the value of a college education, and less than half agree that U.S. colleges are preparing students well for the workplace. This may be part of the reason community colleges are becoming a more popular choice for students who want to prepare themselves for a high-quality career at an affordable price. At Delaware Technical Community College, students can enroll in a degree program, or they can begin with a workforce certification that will lead to a job in their field of interest in just weeks or months. Read more

SMALL, YET MIGHTY

Leveling the playing field for small businesses to find top tech talent

Growing Delaware's economy isn’t just up to the large financial, insurance and real estate players that are keystones to the state’s wealth. Small businesses account for 98 percent of business in Delaware and employ 55 percent of Delaware’s workforce, according to the Delaware Division of Small Business. Just as large companies in Delaware are feeling the pinch when it comes to finding top tech talent, so are small business owners who not only want to attract the best of the best but also want to be able to retain them in the competitive tech market. Read more

MONEY MULES,

A SCAMMER'S BEST FRIEND

According to 2019 data from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released in January, Delaware has the dubious distinction of being 3rd worst in the nation for its number of fraud reports, and 7th worst in the nation for identity theft reports per capita. This is not the sort of list any state wants the honor of topping, especially since the FTC goes on to reveal that 23% of those fraud reports led to a monetary loss. But as bad as the direct losses are to phishing emails, robocalls and the like, there’s another kind of victim of fraud and scam in Delaware that doesn’t get as much attention: money mules. Read more