Tourists spent more than $3 billion in Arlington County last year, supported more than 25,000 jobs and produced over $200 million in local and state tax revenues, all record highs.
According to figures released by the U.S. Travel Association, tourism in the county generated $3.12 billion in 2016, up 2 percent from the previous year. Arlington continued to lead all Virginia counties in visitor spending, as it has since 2009.
Bloomberg BNA Expansion — Crystal City-based Bloomberg BNA will invest $5.5 million to expand in Arlington County and create up to 125 new jobs. Governor McAuliffe approved a $500,000 grant from the Commonwealth’s Opportunity Fund to assist with the project. [Augusta Free Press]
Suspect Has Missing Ex-Wife — The Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested a man in Arlington this weekend in connection with the 2009 disappearance of his girlfriend, who lived in D.C. Now Jose Rodriguez-Cruz also has been tied to the disappearance of his first wife, who was last seen in 1989. Arlington County police have opened an investigation into her disappearance. [WTOP] [NBC Washington]
Gov. Announces New Jobs for Arlington — Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) has announced that Vorsight, a “sales effectiveness” tech firm in Rosslyn, will be expanding its corporate headquarters, creating 112 new jobs in Arlington. [Governor of Virginia]
New Apartments in Crystal City/Pentagon City — More than 1,100 new apartments opened in the Crystal City and Pentagon City area in 2016. More than 3,000 additional apartments are in the development pipeline. [Bisnow]
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Beyer Warns of Obamacare Repeal Ramifications — “The Republican plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act will have disastrous consequences for Virginia,” Rep. Don Beyer (D-Va.) said Friday, citing recent studies. “Hundreds of thousands of our neighbors will lose life-saving, affordable health coverage. The state also stands to lose as many as 100,000 jobs, $30 billion in gross state product, and $50 billion in business output. This is unacceptable and irresponsible.” [House of Representatives, Commonwealth Fund]
Will Startup’s Growth Add Arlington Jobs? — Just before the new year, president-elect Donald Trump said that Rosslyn-based OneWeb will be creating 3,000 jobs as it prepares to launch hundreds of satellites to deliver broadband internet around the world. Will those jobs be coming to Arlington? An Arlington Economic Development spokeswoman said the agency was not sure, while a OneWeb spokesman told ARLnow.com only that it was opening a new office in McLean.
The financial website SmartAsset has Arlington ranked No. 1 on its list of the “hardest-working cities in America.” The website ranked 113 U.S. cities by labor market data on the average number of hours worked in a week and the average number of weeks worked per year.
The four hardest-working cities after Arlington were Anchorage, Alaska; Lincoln, Nebraska; Plano, Texas; and Virginia Beach, Virginia. Detroit ranked last on the list
Arlington is succeeding in its efforts to attract and keep businesses and jobs in the county.
That’s the latest news from Arlington Economic Development, which reported yesterday its efforts helped lead to the creation or retention of 53 businesses and 4,200 jobs in the fiscal year of 2016.
(Updated at 3:30 p.m.) Nearly 73 percent of hourly workers in the nation drive to the workplace via carpooling, borrowed cars or their own personal cars, according to Arlington tech firm Snagajob’s 2016 “State of the Hourly Worker” report released today.
Snagajob, a job search engine that helps hourly workers find employment, highlights aspects of hourly work — such as demographics, salaries, the job application process and worker opinions — in its study.
Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe today announced that Grant Thornton LLP, a “leading U.S. professional-services firm,” will invest $15.75 million in Arlington when it moves here. The investment will create 348 new jobs in Arlington, according to a press release from the governor’s office.
“Retaining Grant Thornton in Virginia is a big win for the Commonwealth, as we continue to make Virginia the best place in the country for business and workforce development,” McAuliffe said. “The firm’s consolidation is a great testament to the business advantages of Arlington County and we are excited to announce that this project is, not only retaining nearly 1,000 jobs in Virginia, but also creating 348 additional jobs. I am pleased with our success and will continue to work with industry leaders to ensure the new Virginia economy is innovative, diverse, and competitive in the global marketplace.”
We’re currently seeking business engagement specialists who can work with local businesses and organizations to find creative ways to get their message out via ARLnow and our other D.C. area publications.
The ideal candidate for this position is someone with very strong interpersonal and communication skills, who has a marketer’s mindset, a penchant for creative promotion and a passion for helping entrepreneurs grow their business and nonprofits achieve their goals. Enthusiasm and self-motivation are a must.
Arlington County just released its 2016 Profile, which includes vital statistics like population, employment and demographics.
According to the county, Arlington’s estimated population on Jan. 1, 2016 was 220,400, up from 216,700 on Jan. 1, 2015 and up 6.1 percent compared to 2010.
