Research Manager Jonathan Boniface Quoted in Capital Gazette

May 30, 2021

The Capital Gazette quoted Jonathan Boniface, Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation’s Research Manager, in the following article: As COVID pandemic eases up, Anne Arundel businesses could face ‘most dangerous time’ as they try to lure workers and customers

Focusing on the many challenges that Anne Arundel County businesses face as they search for new staff, rebuild their customer base, and try to retain current employees or hire new ones in the wake of coronavirus pandemic restrictions, the article included Boniface’s commentary on unemployment:

“Unemployment in the county has steadily dropped to 4.9% since jumping from 3% to 8.6% in April 2020. The county fared better than other jurisdictions because of the large federal workforce centered around Fort Meade, and the number of people out of work has slowly decreased over the last several months.

Over the last five weeks, however, both regular and pandemic-related unemployment claims ticked up. There’s not a clear indicator as to why, said Jonathan Boniface, a research manager at the Anne Arundel Economic Development Corporation. Though business owners have anecdotally pointed to additional $300 unemployment benefits through the federal government as a reason workers are slow to return to low-wage jobs, “we really won’t know until that disappears whether that’s a big reason,” Boniface said.”

To view the latest unemployment numbers in Anne Arundel County, view out latest report: Anne Arundel County at a Glance (July 2021) 

My ArundelBiz Podcast Featuring CapitalSUP »