Recent statistics show that
Virginia jobs in Halifax in the tourism industry grew in 2007, according to the county's
Department of Tourism. All together, the sector employed over 500 people, generated more than $2 million in taxes. Visitors to the area spent approximately $35.4 million in the community.
"In a very challenging and competitive market, tourism in Halifax County continues to demonstrate growth," said Halifax County's Director of Tourism, Linda Shepperd. "This is a testament to the dedication and hard work of organizations and attractions, public and private, that continue to offer events and activities that attract thousands of visitors to our communities each year."
Virginia is still one of the most popular locations in the country for tourists to visit during their vacations. This industry continues to make a huge contribution to area’s revenue.
Statewide, data for 2007 shows that visitors to Virginia spent $18.7 billion, which was an increase of 5.8 percent from the previous year. This means that the state is well over the national domestic travel increase of 4.7 percent. Altogether, the tourism industry employed 210,000 Virginia residents. According to the statistics, if tourism was considered its own industry, then it would be the 6th largest employer in the state.
"Tourism has such a positive financial impact on Virginia as a whole and on local areas as well," said the
Virginia Tourism Corporation's president and CEO, Alisa Bailey. "You can see how so many of our localities depend on tourism to bring in money and sustain jobs that otherwise would not exist."
Problems with the economy this year may make the statistics for 2008 less positive than those most recently reported. Since many people across the nation now have less disposable income, there is a good chance that tourism growth will have slowed down slightly.
Labels: Virginia Jobs
Virginia's unemployment rate continued to rise in July, as it climbed to a five-year high. According to the
Virginia Employment Commission, 4.4 percent of the state's resident were unable to find work. This made July the second consecutive month that the state's jobless rate increased. As of a year ago, only 3.1 percent of the population was unemployed. Despite this increase,
Virginia jobs were easier to come by than employment opportunities in many other states and the state continued to entice new businesses.
Volkswagen Group of America recently opened it's new U.S. corporate headquarters in Herndon, Virginia. Prior to this, the company was centered in Auburn Hills, Michigan. This location will also house the new headquarters for Audi of America. Combined, the two created 400 new
Virginia jobs and invested $100 million into the move.
The grand opening was attended by both state and local officials. During the ceremony, the company announced that it will be donating $2.1 million to a variety of different educational institutions in and around the Virginia and
Washington D.C region. These funds will be used to supplement resources at
George Mason University,
Virginia Tech, the
University of Virginia,
Northern Virginia Community College,
Fairfax County Public Schools and the
Excel Institute in Washington, D.C.
"We are happy to have this chance to give something back to our community," said Volkswagen Group of America's CEO and President Stefan Jacoby. "We work here, we live here, and we intend to give her. Our five-year education program is comprehensive and will serve as a catalyst for further educational entrepreneurship. It will help students whether they are in high school, technical school, community college, university or graduate school. With all of these programs, we will train teachers so they can share knowledge on automotive safety and environmental technology."
Labels: Virginia Jobs
New
Virginia jobs will be created in Carroll County when
AmeriPumps LLC moves its headquarters and manufacturing facility to Hillsville from Chattanooga, Tennessee, according to
Governor Tim Kaine. The company, which will spend $4.6 million to relocate, will create 125 new jobs.
AmeriPumps LLC builds, ships and services water pumps for a variety of different companies and organizations throughout North America and the rest of the Western hemisphere. These products are frequently used by both the construction and mining industries, for hurricane recovery and aboard ships.
"This is tremendous news for Hillsville and Carroll County," Gov. Kaine said in a recent news release. "AmeriPumps' decision to open this facility demonstrates that the region, previously affected by economic downturn, is on the rebound. The company will find no shortage of capable employees with a strong work ethic, and I look forward to AmeriPumps’ success in Virginia."
AmeriPumps' President Doug Zukowski also believes the move is a positive thing. "We are extremely excited to establish our Corporate Headquarters and Manufacturing operations in Hillsville, Virginia, and we look forward to being a part of the Hillsville/Carroll County business community for many years to come," he said. "The decision to relocate our operations to Virginia was based on the strong work ethic and available workforce in this geographic region along with the quality of life only found in this part of Virginia. We certainly appreciate the leadership and hard work from the
Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the
Carroll County Administration and the Town of Hillsville and others for assisting us in marking Hillsville our new home."
Gov. Kaine's office says that the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the town of Hillsville, Carroll County and Virginia's
aCorridor all worked together to obtain the project for the state. The Governor approved $150,000 from the Governor's Opportunity Fund to the project.
The Virginia Tobacco Indemnification and Community Revitalization Commission also contributed $100,00 in Tobacco Region Opportunity Funds to Carroll County to help encourage AmeriPumps to the area.
The Virginia Department of Business Assistance will be providing training support through the Virginia Jobs Investment Program.
Labels: Virginia Jobs
