Economy Adds 7.3 Million Jobs - Kearney Stays Strong

The US economy has added around 7.3 million jobs in the past two months. The increase in the ranks of employed workers shows that companies ramped up hiring as the economy reopened and consumers came back to stores, restaurants, and other businesses that had been shuttered in March and April.

Shawna Searcy - Executive Director of the Kearney Area Development Council

Job growth was strong in restaurants and bars, reflecting the reopening of those establishments across the country, which added 1.5 million jobs, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Average hourly wages are up 5 percent compared with a year ago, although they fell 1.3 percent compared with May. Average wages often rise at times of mass layoffs when lower-paid employees are more likely to lose their jobs. The average workweek slipped from 34.7 hours to 34.5 hours.

In Kearney, Missouri, business has remained strong. Much of that is contributed to local support of small businesses.

In a recent appearance on Kearney Live, Shawna Searcy, the Executive Director of the Kearney Area Development Council, stated that a large percentage of the businesses in Kearney are small businesses. She also said that despite what has been happening to some small businesses across the country, many Kearney businesses have thrived.

“Another positive, a silver lining, there are businesses that did really well,” Searcy said. “I mean, those businesses exploded because of the particular product or service they offer.”

Kearney small businesses have another economic opportunity coming. The Kearney, Missouri Board of Aldermen will vote on Monday, July 6th, to establish the CARES Kearney Small Business Grant Program. If approved, the CARES program will issue up to $100,000 distributed in $5,000 business grants to small businesses in Kearney.

KPGZ News - Jim Dickerson contributed to this report