Author: Admin

A growing number of Americans turned to “off-the-books” work in 2023, according to a new study by the Ludwig Institute for Shared Economic Prosperity (LISEP). However, findings revealed these supplemental forms of income were largely ineffective in lifting low-income workers above poverty-level wages.

“Our research shows that individuals most likely to turn to the informal economy are those who have been unable to secure stable, well-paying positions in the formal market,” said LISEP Chairman Gene Ludwig. “Contrary to popular belief, however, informal work is no panacea for those struggling to find living wage jobs.”

According to LISEP’s research, 1.4 million Americans reported working informally for pay on an average day in 2023—the highest level since 2016. While this represents a considerable increase in the daily average from the last three years (1.14 million), the informal economy was less effective in helping low-income earners achieve functional employment—defined as earning above poverty wages ($25,000 a year in 2024 dollars) after adjusting for inflation and working full-time hours, if desired. Despite low levels of unemployment in the formal labor market,15.9% of informal workers were unemployed job seekers in 2023, compared to 2.2% of the overall population.

Using LISEP’s True Rate of Unemployment Out of the Population (TRU OOP) metric—which measures the functional unemployment rate of the entire working-age population (16+)—incorporating informal earnings would have reduced the functional unemployment rate by only 0.8 percentage points at most, from 51.9% to 51.1%. By comparison, incorporating informal earnings would have reduced TRU OOP by 1.3 percentage points in 2022 and an average 1.2 percentage points lower from 2003 to 2022.

Women, young, and Black workers continue to be disproportionately represented in the informal economy. In 2023, nearly twice as many women as men reported working informally. Among workers aged 16-24, 640,000 reported working informally in 2023, the highest level since 2008. And over the last three years, 53 out of every 10,000 Black workers reported working informally on an average day, compared to 42 White workers and 45 Hispanic workers.

“The perception that middle- and low-income Americans are financially better off than headline statistics suggest due to unreported one-off and side jobs is nothing more than a myth,” Ludwig said. “Policymakers must recognize this reality to develop effective solutions.”

Southeastern Grocers Inc. (SEG), parent company and home of Harveys Supermarket and Winn-Dixie grocery stores, together with the SEG Gives Foundation, is proud to announce the 2024 recipients of its annual Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant.

The grant’s namesake, Ms. Romay as she was lovingly called, died earlier this year at the rich age of 104. In a special tribute, the grocer’s program is supporting 50 nonprofit organizations this year in remembrance and celebration of her incredible life and legacy. The deserving recipients, chosen from a competitive pool of applicants, exemplify the same unwavering dedication to inclusivity and empowerment that Ms. Romay embodied throughout her extraordinary life.

The Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant supports organizations that work to address racial disparities in health care, food insecurity and education, while building a more inclusive and equitable future for all. Today, on Ms. Romay’s birthday, SEG is awarding a total of $487,500 in grant funds to the following 50 nonprofit recipients:

• 904WARD

• American Diabetes Association

• Baptist Health

• Better Basics Inc.

• Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana

• Boys and Girls Clubs of Palm Beach County

• Boys and Girls Clubs of the Chattahoochee Valley

• Breakthrough Birmingham

• Brighter Bites

• College Choice Foundation

• Communities In Schools of Jacksonville

• Concrete Jungle

• Covenant House New Orleans

• Extra Table

• Feeding Northeast Florida

• Feeding Tampa Bay

• First Coast American Heart Association

• Foundation Honey Co.

• Hope Haven

• Hunger Fight Inc.

• Jack and Jill Center

• Jacksonville Humane Society

• Junior Achievement of Alabama

• Junior Achievement of North Florida

• Leaders of Excellence Inc.

• Library Foundation of Jacksonville

• Louisiana Center for Health Equity

• Magic City Harvest

• MaliVai Washington Youth Foundation Inc.

• Open Hand

• Orlando Health Foundation Inc.

• Our Daily Bread Food Pantry Inc.

• Parker Street Ministries

• Rehab and Beyond Inc.

• Sanctuary on 8th Street

• Schoolyard Roots

• Second Harvest of the Big Bend

• Seniors in Service of Tampa Bay Inc.

• Society of St. Andrew – Alabama

• Society of St. Andrew – Florida

• Start the Adventure in Reading (STAIR)

• Tankproof

• Teach for America Inc.

• The Jericho School

• The Sharing Center

• The Women’s Breast & Heart Initiative, Florida Affiliate

• Thrive Scholars

• Tree Hill Nature Center Inc.

• Vision is Priceless Council Inc.

• Youth Empowerment Project

Raymond Rhee, Chief People Officer for Southeastern Grocers, said, “As a people-first company, we believe in the power of coming together to create a meaningful, lasting difference in the lives of our neighbors. We are incredibly proud to support these exceptional nonprofits that work tirelessly to uplift and empower the communities we serve. Ms. Romay’s dedication in the face of adversity is a constant inspiration for us, and we are honored to continue to uphold her remarkable legacy as we work to build a future where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.”

SEG is steadfast in its commitment to cultivating a culture of belonging for its associates, customers and communities across its five-state footprint. The grant program aims to provide vital funding to nonprofits that align with the grocer’s dedication to inclusivity, working to empower individuals to be their authentic selves while breaking down long-standing barriers.

Since its inception in 2020, the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant has awarded nearly $1.6 million in funding to like-minded nonprofits with missions to elevate underserved communities throughout Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi.

More About the Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant Namesake

The Romay Davis Belonging, Inclusion and Diversity Grant is named in honor of the trailblazing Winn-Dixie associate Romay Davis, whose remarkable 104 years of life were defined by her steadfast dedication to community advocacy and social justice. Her influential legacy endures beyond her passing on June 21, 2024, evident in the lasting impact of her actions on the future generations who carry forward her values. Ms. Romay, a true pioneer, broke countless barriers during a time when women and people of color faced significant challenges. A member of the U.S. Army’s 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion, she served her country within the only all-Black Women Army Corps unit deployed overseas during World War II. The 6888^th cleared more than two years of backlogged mail in just three months, restoring communication between troops and their families to boost critical morale during the war’s final months. Her extraordinary achievements also include earning multiple degrees from NYU, working as a New York fashion designer and model, achieving a Taekwondo Black Belt and receiving the Congressional Gold Medal. At 80 years old, Ms. Romay rejoined the workforce as a Winn-Dixie associate in Montgomery, Alabama, where she continued to serve her community. Throughout her years, she touched countless lives, and her legacy continues to inspire people to pursue greatness while uplifting those around them.

As the holiday season approaches, millions of travelers are preparing to pack their bags and head to the skies, making this one of the busiest times of the year for air travel. Airports across the United States experience a significant surge in passenger traffic, with some hubs seeing more dramatic increases than others. Whether travelers are visiting family, heading for a vacation, or flying for business, the peak holiday season creates a challenge for both airports and airlines to manage the spike in demand.

In response to rising air travel demand, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced $289 million in grants to 129 airports across 40 states. Funded under President Biden’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, these grants will support terminal expansions, baggage system upgrades, runway enhancements, and air traffic infrastructure improvements. As air travel hits record highs—including the TSA screening nearly 3 million passengers in a single day in June—these investments will help airports better handle surges in traffic during the busy holiday season.

Average Daily Flight Passenger Traffic Recovery After the Pandemic

Air travel has rebounded significantly since the sharp decline caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, with average daily passenger traffic now exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Based on Transportation Security Administration (TSA) data, daily passenger traffic during the 2019 holiday season—or the periods surrounding Thanksgiving and winter holidays—averaged nearly 2.3 million, but TSA throughput dropped dramatically to just less than 1 million in 2020. As restrictions eased, air travel slowly recovered, and by 2023, daily passengers reached nearly 2.5 million—surpassing 2019 levels.

Non-holiday passenger traffic has followed a similar trend, with 2023’s daily average of over 2.3 million passengers also exceeding the 2019 figure. With 2024 non-holiday traffic already averaging just under 2.5 million, this holiday season is shaping up to be one of the busiest in recent memory.

Change in Airport Traffic During the Holiday Season by Airport Size

During the Thanksgiving and winter holiday seasons, larger airports see the most significant increases in daily passenger traffic compared to non-holiday periods. Based on 2022 and 2023 data, large hub airports experience a 7.2% increase in daily traffic, while medium hubs follow closely with a 6.2% rise. Smaller airports see more modest increases, with small hubs rising by 4.5%, nonhub primary airports growing by just 1.5%, and nonhub nonprimary airports—the smallest airport commercial service category by annual enplanements—actually experience a 6.8% decrease during the holidays.

Change in Airport Traffic During the Holiday Season by State

Holiday air traffic patterns vary significantly across different states, with some regions experiencing far greater surges in daily passenger throughput than others. States with major tourist destinations and warmer climates, such as Florida (+12.7%) and Arizona (+10.9%), see some of the largest surges in daily passenger traffic during the holiday season. Similarly, states like North Dakota (+11.8%) and Kansas (+10.5%) experience notable increases, potentially due to their smaller airports handling a disproportionate amount of local and regional holiday traffic. In contrast, colder and less accessible states like Maine (-26.0%) and Alaska (-17.0%) see declines, as fewer travelers venture to these destinations during the winter months.

Delaware stands out as an outlier, with an 83.1% increase in daily passenger traffic, driven by the operations of its only commercial airport, Wilmington Airport (ILG). Delaware’s traffic fluctuations have been skewed by the departure of Frontier Airlines in 2022 and the introduction of Avelo Airlines in 2023, leading to a dramatic change in the state’s seasonality.

At the individual airport level, Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International (FLL) tops the list of large hub airports with a 16.3% increase, while airports in other warm, tourist destinations like Daniel K. Inouye International (HNL) in Hawaii and Tampa International (TPA) both see traffic increases of over 12%. On the other hand, Harry Reid International (LAS) in Las Vegas experiences a 4.3% decline in holiday traffic, the largest decrease among large hub airports.

Here is a summary of the data for Georgia:

• Change in daily passenger traffic during the holiday season: +4.3%

• Average daily passenger traffic (holiday season): 79,485

• Average daily passenger traffic (non-holiday season): 76,187

• Average daily passenger traffic (Thanksgiving holiday): 83,525

• Average daily passenger traffic (Winter holidays): 77,084

For reference, here are the statistics for the entire United States:

• Change in daily passenger traffic during the holiday season: +6.2%

• Average daily passenger traffic (holiday season): 2,348,772

• Average daily passenger traffic (non-holiday season): 2,210,803

• Average daily passenger traffic (Thanksgiving holiday): 2,380,380

• Average daily passenger traffic (Winter holidays): 2,329,977

Today the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) announced that Ryan Marshall, president and CEO of PulteGroup, will serve as the 2025 MAC Board Chair, and Rich McKay, CEO of AMB Sports and Entertainment and CEO of Atlanta Falcons, will step into the role for 2026. Chris Womack, president and CEO of Southern Company and 2024 MAC Board Chair, will formally hand over the role to Ryan Marshall at MAC’s 2024 annual meeting on November 21. 

“MAC has an enduring legacy of uniting business and community leaders to create transformative change,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, president and CEO of Metro Atlanta Chamber. “We are grateful for leaders like Ryan and Rich, who continue to build on the foundation established by 165 years of visionary business leaders. Their commitment, along with that of 2024 MAC Board Chair Chris Womack, fuels our mission to shape the future of metro Atlanta’s community and economy.”

Serving as President & CEO of PulteGroup since 2016, Ryan Marshall has helped build the company into one of the largest and most broadly diversified homebuilders in the country. His leadership at PulteGroup, with its founding principle of “Do the Right Thing,” informs his outlook and dedication to community.

“I am eager to collaborate with this exceptional organization, advancing MAC’s vision and leveraging the business community’s ability to impact change,” said Ryan Marshall, president and CEO of PulteGroup. “MAC has demonstrated that they are a smart and relentless team that is unafraid to take on any challenge to unleash Atlanta’s ambition.” 

In 2025 the Chamber will collaborate with Marshall to expand on its economic priorities, growing the region’s reputation as the best and most inclusive place to do business.

“As the Olympics were thirty years ago, 2026 can be another transformational year for Atlanta,” said Rich McKay, CEO of AMB Sports and Entertainment and CEO of the Atlanta Falcons. “As we host world-class events on a global stage, we continue to build on the region’s incredible reputation for business. It’s an honor to step into this role with the Metro Atlanta Chamber.”

MAC’s annual meeting will take place at the Georgia Railroad Freight Depot in Atlanta on November 21. Additional details will follow.