“One of the driving factors for states whose residents owe the most in credit card debt is that they are wealthy states. Nine out of the 10 states with the most in credit card debt have among the highest median household incomes. Alternatively, six of the 10 states with the smallest amounts of credit card debt have among the lowest median incomes…
Many high-debt states also have high costs of living relative to other states….When people must pay more for consumer goods, they often end up with larger amounts of debt. The opposite case is also true. States whose residents pay less for goods have less debt… Continue Reading →
How does NH's economic recovery look compared to the rest of the US?
A recent piece in the New York Times lays out what many Americans already believe:
For much of the country, economic recovery is a ways off. Reporter Michael Cooper writes:
“Less than a tenth of the nation’s metropolitan areas have regained the jobs they lost in the economic downturn, according to a report…
Only 26 of the nation’s 363 metropolitan areas had recovered their lost jobs by the end of 2011, and only 26 more are projected to recover them by end of this year, according to the report, which was commissioned by the United States Conference of Mayors. It will take at least five years for the 80 hardest-hit areas to recover the jobs they lost, the report forecast.” Continue Reading →
How many jobs could 180 miles of power lines create in NH?
One of the main questions that lingers over Northern Pass is: Will it create jobs, especially in the struggling North Country?
And, befitting the layers of controversy surrounding the project, the simplest answer won out.
It depends on who you ask.
Today, the New England Power Generators Association released a report it commissioned from PolEcon Research. The Association is one of the major opponents of the Northern Pass project. Unsurprisingly, the report found the jobs created by the project will be much less than the utility group claims. According to a Power Point presentation accompanying the release, PolEcon found: Continue Reading →
The Green Launching Pad was started to help grow NH's small, sustainable economy
After launching 11 eco-friendly companies across the state, the University of New Hampshire’s Green Launching Pad (GLP) is racing to spend the last of its stimulus funding. For the past two years, GLP has used federal stimulus money to offer grants and support to up-and-coming green companies. The idea is, as the companies expand, more well-paying, environmentally-friendly jobs will take root in the state.
The feds will turn off the stimulus funding spigot by the end of April. And that means that GLP has less than four months to spend the remaining money on growing New Hampshire’s small green economy. Continue Reading →
Welcome to our weekly roundup of the five posts you loved the most
It’s that time of Friday again! As you’re taking stock of the work you’ve done (or, sadly, have yet to do) before we reach the weekend, we’re offering you a little break. Here’s our weekly roundup of the business and economy news that drew the most comments and clicks–that Essential StateImpact you won’t want to miss!
“The inspection of the Market Basket store in Rindge began after an employee sustained broken bones and head trauma earlier this year when he fell 11 feet to a concrete floor from an inadequately guarded storage mezzanine, according to the press release.. Rather than call for emergency help, store management lifted the injured worker from the floor, put him in a wheelchair, and pushed him to the store’s receiving dock to wait for a relative to take him to the hospital.” Continue Reading →
The number of jobless people in New Hampshire went down in December
According to an announcement from Governor John Lynch’s office, New Hampshire’s unemployment rate dipped ever-so-slightly to 5.1 percent in December. That’s compared to 5.2 percent unemployment in November, and a national rate of 8.5 percent.
A news release from the Governor’s Office quoted Lynch as saying:
“This further decrease in New Hampshire’s unemployment rate is clear evidence that our economic strategy is working. Our unemployment rate remains 40 percent below the national average, and we are seeing more New Hampshire residents going back to work,” Gov. Lynch said. “While the decrease in the unemployment rate and increase in number of New Hampshire people working is great news for our state, we must be mindful that more than 38,000 New Hampshire citizens are still looking for work. As Governor, my focus continues to be improving our economy, keeping New Hampshire one of the most business-friendly states in the nation and helping businesses create jobs.” Continue Reading →
Northern Pass opposition has shifted from private land transactions to legislation with the start of the session
Thanks to the ongoing Northern Pass controversy, eminent domain–when the government forces landowners to sell their property to benefit a project for the public good–has become one of the 2012 legislative session’s key issues.
And thanks to the Forest Society, the issue’s gained a greater sense of urgency
Here’s the nutshell version: Last month, the Tillotson Corporation made waves by declining Northern Pass’ $3 million bid for some land on the Balsams Grand Resort property. Instead, the Corporation accepted an $850 thousand bid from the Forest Society to put the land into a conservation easement. According to Concord Monitor reporter Annmarie Timmins, that move all but dealt a death-blow to the proposed Northern Pass route. The utility’s only hope of getting that land back was the Forest Society failing to raise the necessary $850 thousand by this week. Continue Reading →
Walt Freese, 57, will begin taking over Stonyfield from Gary Hirshberg on January 23.
Stonyfield co-founder Gary Hirshberg created a bit of a stir in New Hampshire’s business press when he announced he was stepping down as CEO and moving over to the Chairman role. We recently spoke with Hirshberg about his 28 years at Stonyfield, his role in the natural food movement, and how the growing organics market is struggling and succeeding.
But of course, this move raises a key question: How will Stonyfield be run under new leadership?
So we sat down with Walt Freese–most recently former CEO of Ben & Jerry’s–and Hirshberg’s hand-picked successor–to discuss the transition and the future of Stonyfield.
Q: Gary Hirshberg has been very up-front with the fact that he specifically selected you to take over the company. Could you describe how that came about?
A: Gary and I have known each other for at least five years. We got to know each other at first through being in aligned-values-type companies. We shared suppliers and things, and from there, we develoed a friendship. And Gary first talked with me about the idea of taking over at Stonyfield when I was leaving Ben & Jerry’s [in 2010], and we both found that it wasn’t the right time. For it to be a good fit for both of us, it would have to be at another time. Continue Reading →
New Hampshire's coffers aren't exactly overflowing with lottery revenue. StateImpact delves into why not.
One of our most popular on-going series has been “Losing The Lotto,” our continued look at the facts, figures, and people behind the New Hampshire Lottery.
StateImpact seeks to inform and engage local communities with broadcast and online news focused on how state government decisions affect your lives. Learn More »
