Weekly unemployment claims have helped tell the story of COVID-19. Following record highs in 2020, jobless claims have been on a gradual decline in the months since, keeping pace with America’s vaccine rollout and economic re-opening.

Recent reports, however, show the challenges still ahead. Released Thursday, last week saw the highest increase in unemployment filings since late March, with 419,000 new claims — an uptick of 51,000 from the week prior. With added uncertainty from the quick-spreading Delta variant, the country remains in the thick of its recovery. It’s critical policymakers take action to help rebuild the American economy by focusing on the engine of net job creation – new businesses.

Entrepreneurs of color are central to our economic recovery from COVID-19
Small Business Majority’s Awesta Sarkash penned an op-ed in The Hill this week, discussing the inequitable entrepreneurship landscape and the need for specific policies that target entrepreneurs of color. As she notes, “now that we’re looking forward to a post-pandemic economy, we must prioritize legislation that will better position minority owners to withstand the next crisis.” The op-ed includes specific recommendations — many aligned with ANBP, including: access to capital, Truth-in-Lending reform, health care expansion, and skill training.

A Startup Visa: Now Or Never?
Immigration plays a critical component in job creation, wrote Tahmina Watson in a recent Above the Law article promoting the new edition of her book, The Startup Visa: Key to Job Growth & Economic Prosperity in America. Arguing that reviving the International Entrepreneur Rule is just a regulatory stopgap, Watson affirms the long-term importance of a startup visa, citing success stories across the globe — some modeled after the U.S. plan that never came to fruition. To support the book, Watson’s podcast series has featured several coalition members, including CAE’s John Dearie, NFAP’s Stuart Anderson, and NVCA’s Jeff Farah — all talking about the need for a startup visa.

This New White House Executive Order Is a Game Changer for Entrepreneurs
Right to Start’s Victor Hwang was featured this week on Inc, where he discussed the recent White House Executive Order on competition. He writes that the Executive Order represents a fundamental shift for entrepreneurs, “(elevating) recognition of entrepreneurial barriers to the highest visibility ever.” The column cites the aligned occupational licensing and noncompete recommendations from America’s New Business Plan — issues now “bright in the public spotlight.” As Hwang notes, the next step is implementation, which will take cooperation and collaboration from all levels of government as policymakers work to rebuild a stronger economy.