Judi Currie 
Claudia Tobon, founder and CEO of Launch Now (launchnow.org) is on a mission to help students connect with the right careers earlier. She says high school counselors may call an employer to inquire about offering a student an experience, such as job shadowing or an internship, which can involve several emails and phone messages, only to find it is not a good fit.
New Hampshire businesses and residents are used to expensive energy bills, but recent rate increases left even hardened Granite Staters breathless as some saw their bills double in August. Such dramatic increases only add to the burdens NH businesses face, including lingering supply chain issues, workforce shortages, rising interest rates and worries of a possible recession.
With contactless transactions for everything from pizza to home loans, the pandemic has moved much of the financial world to a digital format. The downside is that these new and different processes have created a rich environment for cyber thieves and fraudsters who get more sophisticated and creative every day, which is forcing financial institutions to step up their game.
From small items, such as packaging, to major components and computer chips, retailers have to move delivery dates from weeks to months and tell customers that some things just won’t be available.
Some campground owners feared 2020 might be their worst year because of COVID-19 restrictions. But for many, it turned out to be their best year as people sought refuge among the trees and fresh air. And even as travel restrictions loosen and vaccinations are readily available, camp reservations show no signs of slowing as the 2021 season kicks into high gear.
Despite the lingering effects of a global pandemic and the Trump administration’s trade wars, foreign markets and investment by foreign companies remain a vital part of NH’s economy. In fact, the latest NH Globalization Report prepared by researchers at Plymouth State University (PSU) shows NH is primed to attract more foreign investment.
While there is overwhelming support for affordable housing and rapid permitting of proposed housing developments, according to a statewide poll conducted by the Saint Anselm College Center for Ethics in Society, many communities are still putting up roadblocks to such development.
Construction has long been a leading economic indicator with housing starts and building permits painting a picture of what is on the horizon. That also means construction is often the canary in the economic coal mines‚ an early warning of a downturn. But the COVID-19 pandemic is creating new normal throughout the economy. While nationally the industry is hemorrhaging jobs, in NH, many construction projects are moving forward and some construction firms are actually looking to hire.