Thursday May 27, 2021
Area Unemployment Down Two-Thirds Since April 2020; Continuing to Outperform State
Unemployment figures released by the N.Y.S. Labor Dept. show our area counties are, for April 2021, about a third of the unemployment levels seen in April 2020 and continue to outperform the statewide unemployment rate.

  • CLINTON COUNTY at 5.4% compared to 17.1% a year ago
  • ESSEX at 6.1% compared with 18.9% a year ago
  • FRANKLIN at 5.6% compared with 16.1% a year ago
  • HAMILTON at 6.3% compared with 16.2% a year ago
  • WARREN at 5.8% compared with 18.6% a year ago
  • Statewide, unemployment stood at 7.8% in April
NYS Announces 'Get a Shot to Make Your Future' Vaccine Incentive
The Governor announced the 'Get a Shot to Make Your Future' incentive for 12- to 17-year-olds to get vaccinated for COVID-19. Participants can enter into a random prize drawing and potentially receive a full scholarship to a SUNY or CUNY college beginning May 27. Winners receive a full scholarship to any public college or university, including tuition and room and board. New York State will administer the random drawing and select 10 winners a week over five weeks for a total of 50 winners. Federal COVID-19 relief and outreach funds will be used to cover the cost of this vaccination incentive program.

The winners will receive up to four years of full-time undergraduate study or five years in an approved five-year bachelor's degree program which includes the following components:
  • Tuition: An amount equal to tuition at the State or City University of New York's in-state tuition.
  • Non-tuition Costs: Room and board and allowances for books, supplies and transportation up to the average cost at SUNY colleges.
  • Residence: Students living on campus will receive a higher room and board allowance than commuter students. If housing is not available for students on campus, they will receive the same allowance as students living on campus.

The New York State Department of Health and New York State Higher Education Services Corporation will verify the vaccination status of winners. 
Survey: Most New Yorkers Want to-go Alcohol to Stay Permanently
A new survey out Monday shows that a vast majority of New Yorkers want to-go alcohol sales to become a permanent fixture for restaurants.

The move to allow restaurants to sell alcohol for takeout or delivery came in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Tourism Specific Job Portal
The I LOVE NY team is excited to announce that a tourism specific page on the NY Hire Now job portal, run by the New York State Department of Labor, is up and running! You can now view the portal and post jobs here. This job portal is part of a pilot program between the New York State Division of Tourism and the New York State Department of Labor to assist employers in the tourism industry to find employees from throughout New York State and beyond. 
 
Using the NY Hire Now job portal is free and allows businesses to search the resumes of thousands of job seekers.  Businesses can post jobs manually, import job listings already posted on their company website, or send information to the Department of Labor who will post the listing on behalf of the business.  Additional information and resources can be found here. 
 
We encourage tourism businesses in need of workers to utilize this free service and ask that you share this information with any tourism employers in your network.
North Country Vaccine Network | Dr. Wouter Rietsema & John Bernardi | MLJ Interview
The Clinton County Health Department, non-profit groups, and CVPH Medical Center are all part of the North Country Regional Vaccination Network. It’s based at CVPH and has supervised the rollout and distribution of the vaccine in 7-counties across Northern New York.
Live Performances Returning to Depot Theatre
The Depot Theatre is gearing up for a return to live performances in 2021 with three main stage productions originally planned for 2020 featuring iconic figures and everyday heroes.

“We are committed to our mission to 'entertain, enrich, and educate through professional theatrical arts,’ and the Depot staff is prepared to optimize the experience while meeting this year’s strict protocols,” said Kim Rielly, Depot Theatre executive director.

“Though the audience capacity will look dramatically different this summer, the professional performances on stage will be the high-quality experience that our patrons have come to expect.”

The season will open with The Mountaintop, a reflective, often funny, touching, and gripping reimagining of the night before the assassination of the civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, which will run from July 1 through July 18.

Next up will be Working: A Musical starting July 22 through August 8. Nominated for six Tony Awards, the production features vibrant portrayals of 26 real-life American workers - including a schoolteacher, trucker, housewife, fireman, and millworker.

The season will close with Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill from Aug. 12 through Aug.
To help the North Country reopen safely and meet the state and local mandates, The North Country Chamber of Commerce has created a comprehensive list of resources to navigate state and local requirements. Check out the home page for details. There is also a series of webinars available for businesses to help educate and provide answers to common questions.
Today's Dose is Generously Supported By:
QUICK LINKS:
  • NYS Vaccination Updates: Official Site for making an appointment to get the COVID-19 Vaccine.
  • Forward NY: Official State Website for opening procedures and guidelines.
  • NYS Travel Advisory: Stay up to date on the latest NYS Travel Advisory Updates.
  • Looking for Supplies: If your business is looking for hard to find protective products, we have created a list of businesses offering hand sanitizer, gloves, wipes, masks and other items.
  • SCORE: Small business owners are resilient and can power through this challenging time, with SCORE by their side.
Have Questions? We're here to help!

North Country Chamber of Commerce
518.563.1000