Today, Greater Charlottesville is a thriving, economically-vital region that is home to approximately 240,000 residents, thousands of employers and more than 104,000 jobs.

From the powerful economic engine that is the University of Virginia and its 20,000 employees, to hundreds of diverse, energizing private enterprises -- many employing as few as one or two people -- Greater Charlottesville is home to diverse job-generating enterprises. Many of these companies are engaged in emerging technology and important business and personal services enterprises.

The Chamber strives to build an even more diverse, more vibrant private enterprise economy on the existing economic dynamic -- focused on career-ladder employment -- as an essential complement to the region's current and future success as a community.

The 2008 Chamber Jobs Report illustrated that total jobs in Greater Charlottesville have grown from 80,902 jobs in 1995 to 104,658 jobs in 2007, an overall increase of +29.4% or 23,758 jobs -- a healthy job-producing and sustaining rate. Since 1995, our area has added a net gain of 16,557 (+28.5%) private enterprise jobs and 7,201 (+31.7%) government jobs (including the University of Virginia, a public university).

Some leading Chamber business large employers in Greater Charlottesville include -- State Farm Insurance, Wal-Mart, Klockner Pentaplast, GE Fanuc, MPS Publishing, Northrup Grumman Corporation, Pepsi-Cola Bottling and many more. A wide range of strong non-profit enterprises, including Martha Jefferson Hospital, the Thomas Jefferson Foundation (Monticello), Piedmont Virginia Community College, local governments and public schools, a number of private schools and civic organizations add an economically vital diversity to the area's employment base. Not to be overlooked, Greater Charlottesville is also home to a significant number of agri-businesses -- mostly small, family enterprises -- producing $60 million in products each year.

The US Government is another significant employer and economic engine including the US Army's National Ground Intelligence Center. In the next year or two, US Defense intelligence employment plans will add 800 additional employees to the 1,000 already here in a new Defense Intelligence Agency facility.

Employment requires employers and employees. Developing and sustaining a globally competitive workforce is a leading focus in Greater Charlottesville. Education and enterprise go hand-in-hand. As a foundation, the area's public school systems and private schools achieve high rankings within Virginia and on several national scales. Piedmont Virginia Community College is a recognized, innovative leader in preparing its students (both full-time and part-time) for workforce readiness. UVA is also very adept in crafting professional and continuing studies curricula for the region's and Virginia's employers. The region's elementary and secondary education and business leaders are moving to build better connections between schools, teachers, families and businesses.

To download a copy of our Public Policy, which was developed by the Economic & Government Affairs Committee and Approved by the Board of Directors Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce Charlottesville, Virginia, Click Here