Amidst a pandemic, and other economic struggles, it seems that the community of Fallon has kept it together, and is surviving better than most.
If you take a drive around town, there are multiple sites of expansion. Maverik is expanding with another nearly 1,400 square feet. According to information given during the City of Fallon Council meeting on April 20, new multi-family housing units will be coming soon. A streetscape project near the William N. Pennington Life Center has taken off, and of course, there is the rapid building of houses and new facilities at the naval air station as the base welcomes the newest F-35 airplanes.
According to the United States Census, the Churchill County has a growth rate of 1.8%, and has retained that rate for the past four years. Within the last year, the population has grown by nearly 500 people. The most impressive and surprising information is Fallon’s unemployment rate.
The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the national unemployment in May of 2020 was around 13%. In the state of Nevada, it was 25.3%. The massive increase is a result of job loss due to the Coronavirus, specifically in the gaming and hospitality industries. However, in Churchill County, the unemployment rate in May of 2020 was only 8.3%.
Although the difference in economic sectors across the Nevada counties accounts for some of the major percentage gap, Churchill County is only the eighth largest county in the state, but often one of the top counties for resilience, and support for local business.
The Fallon Chamber of Commerce, a group that has assisted many local businesses through the pandemic to apply for CARES Act funding and other community assistance, provided a statement through Executive Director, Lucy Carnahan, related to the economic development and resilience of Churchill County.
“The Fallon Chamber is happy to see, even in these trying times, that our local economy has seen continued strategic growth. We are excited to see how this will progress, and for all the changes Fallon has yet to see. We are all very thankful to live in Fallon and even prouder of how our community has handled the global pandemic. We have seen businesses having to close their doors for a short time, changing the way they conduct business, managing mandatory face covering, and continuing to offer their services and making adjustments. As we always have, as long as we stand together, we can continue to see growth and emerge from this stronger than before.”
There is still a feeling of optimism in spite of the many businesses treading water to survive, as we all wait for life to return to normal. Local businesses have found new ways to reach to the community and have helped each other survive in good and bad times. Within Churchill County, the businesses and economy are returning stronger than other communities across the country – and even our own state.
Sign up to receive updates and the Friday File email notices.
Support local, independent news – contribute to The Fallon Post, your non-profit (501c3) online news source for all things Fallon.
The Fallon Post -- 1951 W. Williams #385, Fallon, Nevada 89406
Comment
Comments