Richmond, Virginia—Yesterday, Cardinal News published a sobering piece about Virginia’s long-vaunted economic growth and how it has radically reversed under the Trump regime. Just a year ago, Virginia’s GDP was tied with New Hampshire for 6th-fastest GDP growth in the nation; it has now fallen to among the lowest growth rates in the US, at just 1.7%. Northern Virginia and Hampton Roads are now losing jobs, and growth rates in the rest of the Commonwealth are sluggish. The three recent studies cited by Cardinal News all point to the same culprits: reductions in federal employment, which affect Virginia workers both directly and indirectly, and the disproportionate impact of tariffs on the Virginia economy.

“These numbers should be a wake-up call for anyone who still clings to the belief that Republican policies are good for working families,” said Ashleigh Crocker, Interim Executive Director at Progress Virginia. “A shrinking economy doesn’t just mean charts and headlines, it means parents worrying about how to pay their bills, families cutting back on groceries, and small businesses struggling to keep their doors open. As Trump and his cronies slash jobs and fuel uncertainty, people in our community are the ones paying the price. We deserve leadership that invests in our future and focuses on stability, good jobs, and the long-term health of our communities, not one that pulls political stunts that make life harder for families.”

Some troubling indicators from the Cardinal article:

• Harrisonburg is experiencing the most significant job losses, followed closely by Virginia Beach/Chesapeake/Norfolk. Washington/Arlington/Alexandria has flatlined.
• Federal government jobs, as expected, are the category that has seen the highest losses; however, professional and business services (which includes many private contractors) nearly tie that category, suggesting that federal cuts tend to have mirrored effects in the private sector. The manufacturing sector, which Trump had hoped to improve, is also hemorrhaging jobs. The main category of job growth, health care and social assistance, also tends to be a lower-paying category.
• Traffic through the Port of Virginia, a significant indicator of East Coast import/export trade, has fallen every month since Trump took office.
• Virginia is ranked 34th out of 50 states in economic growth, dropping 28 places in just a few months.