News

As Skagit County businesses have reopened, workforce shortages have forced businesses to limit their hours and service offerings despite high consumer demand. For example, Brenda Schmidt, the general manager of Calico Cupboard told the Seattle Times that they want to be fully staffed (they had 120 employees pre-pandemic), but that they currently only have 90 people working between their Anacortes, La Conner and Mount Vernon locations. Being short staffed during the Tulip Festival resulted in managers picking up shifts -- something that’s unsustainable during the summer tourism season. The retail and food & beverage industries have been disproportionately affected by th...

EDASC this week is celebrating Economic Development Week, a chance to shine a spotlight on our work. Let’s start off by answering a seemingly simple yet broad question: What is economic development? It is the intentional practice of improving a community's economic well-being and quality of life. It includes a broad range of activities to attract, create, and retain jobs, and to foster a resilient, pro-growth tax base and an inclusive economy. The practice of economic development is a collaborative effort involving industry, government and a myriad of community stakeholders. Creating this awareness is important because many people aren’t aware o...