North Gwinnett News

Across the nation, small business owners experienced and are still experiencing the economic hurt of the COVID-19 crisis. 

The U.S. Census Bureau surveyed U.S. small businesses to gauge just how deep the pandemic wounds ran, and found that more than a quarter of small business owners thought the public health crisis had a "large negative effect" on their business.

Survey results show that Georgia fared slightly better than the national average. Of all the Georgia's small businesses that participated in the Census Bureau's survey, only 22.2% say that they experienced a "large negative effect" during the pandemic. 

In addition, the amount of businesses in Georgia that said it would take more than six months to return to normal levels of operation was about 5% below the national average, the bureau found. 

Nick Masino, president of the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce, told North Gwinnett News that the county led the state in small business tax returns last year with a total of 36.35% — indicative, he said, of the local economy's good health.

Although noting that he was no economist, Masino said he is "bullish" on Gwinnett County's economic outlook for the rest of 2021. He said that even though Gwinnett County has no immunity to the national labor shortage problem, the county's 4% unemployment rate is below the Atlanta metro rate of 4.5% and the June national rate of just under 6%. 

Georgia's unemployment rate reached a historic high of 12.5% in April 2020. Only a few months prior, the Peach State saw a record low of 3.3% in January 2020. 

Georgians appear to be getting back to work and the state's small business wheels are turning again after not being as significantly impacted by the pandemic as other states, according to self-reporting to the Census Bureau.

The bureau conducted its small business pulse survey the week of June 28-July 4, and measured the changing business conditions caused by the pandemic by collecting information on small business operations and finances, requests and receipt of assistance, vaccines, capital expenditures and their expectations for recovery.

Nearly a quarter of Georgia businesses said the COVID-19 crisis had little to no effect on their business, higher than the national average.

Georgia residents could have had more opportunities to patronize their local small businesses during the difficult time, according to a WalletHub reported conducted by U.S. research universities, because Georgia had fewer COVID-related restrictions than most other states. 

Masino said there were several policies that have helped Gwinnett County businesses begin a return to normal operations. 

"Access to federal and state aid for small businesses, quickly easing state restrictions and regulations on businesses, ending extended federal unemployment benefits and rapidly lifting statewide or local lockdowns," he said. 

Despite almost half of Georgia businesses reporting a return to normal levels of operations, the state — and Gwinnett County — still have work to do to bolster the business community into full swing, Masino noted. 

"In order for our business community to recover, they must have adequate staff," he said. "Getting folks safely back to work will enable organizations to become fully operational. Furthermore, reopening childcare centers and in-person learning and getting people fully vaccinated will accelerate a return to normal."