Early on in the pandemic, the City of Fayetteville recognized the impact that COVID related conditions would have on small businesses. Many would have to close their doors without income or employees. To combat these challenges, the City’s economic and community development department partnered with local organizations to set up a microloan program targeting small businesses.

Coming off a busy holiday season, it’s probably clearer to many of us just how strained the American labor market is right now. Maybe you had to wait in a long line to check out while doing your Christmas shopping, or some of the ingredients for your Thanksgiving meal weren’t available on the shelf at the local grocery store. Maybe a friend wasn’t able to attend a holiday party due to a flight cancellation because of limited crew, or some packages were late to arrive on your doorstep. In each case, we can point to a tight labor market that’s yielded fewer workers where we need them, and disrupted the normal flow of goods and services to which we have become accustomed.