Daily and sometimes hourly announcements have produced government firings, escalating tariffs around the world and a feeling of economic uncertainty among millions of Americans.

New Hampshire business owners fret about not knowing what their costs will be from new tariffs on goods coming into or leaving the United States, hampering future hiring and pricing decisions.

“I’d suggest to the politicians that they are engaging in a high-stakes game of economic chicken that’s bound to hurt families on both sides of the border,” said Rob North, founder of Great North Aleworks in Manchester.

More than 9,000 people have federal jobs in New Hampshire, not counting those commuting across the Maine border to work at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

The shipyard employed 3,155 New Hampshire residents in civilian jobs with a $262 million payroll in 2023, according to the latest economic impact report.

This past week, six probationary civilian employees at the shipyard were laid off as part of an effort by the Department of Government Efficiency to cut the Defense Department’s workforce.

DOGE’s website also has identified at least a half-dozen leases by federal agencies in New Hampshire that it says should be ended at a savings of more than $1.1 million. They include the Small Business Administration in Lebanon and the Manchester office of the U.S. Department of Labor Employment Standards and Administration’s wage and hour division.

Here’s a look at other Granite State ramifications from what’s been announced so far in Washington.

Food aid cuts

The New Hampshire Food Bank in Manchester recently found out it would lose around $968,000 in federal money from the Department of Agriculture earmarked for the next three years.

“It came as a big surprise,” Executive Director Elsy Cipriani said.

The money goes to agencies around the state to buy produce, protein and dairy from local farmers to feed those in need.

Now, the Food Bank must worry whether it will see cuts in federal agriculture funding funneled through the state Department of Education to help provide meals to kids in summer school. That totaled $429,000 last summer.

“That could be a potential program that could be in jeopardy,” Cipriani said.

Canadian tourists

President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to make Canada this country’s 51st state and has imposed a range of tariffs on Canadian products. The Canadian government — and its people — are responding.

Lodging operators from the mountains to the sea have received cancellations from Canadians.

The White Mountains Attractions Association “has received a handful of emails from Canadian visitors expressing their disappointment and their decision to postpone travel to the U.S. over the next four years,” said President Charyl Reardon. “Additionally, a few lodging properties have reported early Canadian reservation cancellations.”

Some statistics indicate Canadians account for between 8% and 10% of total visitation year-round, she said.

“The prospect of Canadians canceling their trips to New Hampshire this year is deeply concerning,” Reardon said. But “we remain hopeful that sentiments will shift, and these visitors will reconsider their plans and will once again choose New Hampshire for its welcoming atmosphere and unique experiences.”

Along the Seacoast, a 10-week summer season normally includes welcoming 3,000 to 3,500 Canadian visitors, producing an estimated $4 million in local revenue, according to John Nyhan, president at the Hampton Area Chamber of Commerce.

“Although we have seen some lodging cancellations, we are confident that we will still see a good number of Canadians coming down this summer,” he said.

“During my last call with the beach area lodging owners, I have received mixed reactions. Some have indicated a rise in cancellation but others that get the same reservation each year indicate that there has been little impact,” Nyhan said.

The state doesn’t collect figures on how many Canadians visit New Hampshire.

“We know that Canada is our largest international travel market, because it is a ‘drive’ market and more economical,” said Kris Neilsen, communications manager for the state Division of Travel and Tourism Development.

Ripple effect

New Hampshire had more than 9,100 federal employees in mid-2024, according to federal figures, including 4,300 workers at the Postal Service and Defense Department.

If all 4,800 employees not working for the Postal Service or Defense Department “lost their jobs and immediately were unemployed, that would add 0.6% to New Hampshire’s unemployment rate,” said Brian Gottlob, director of the state’s Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau.

The state’s unemployment rate was 2.9% in January.

“There would likely be additional job losses as government contractors and suppliers to agencies lost work and eventually shed jobs,” Gottlob said.

“Some rough calculations are that if all federal non-postal and non-defense jobs were shed that the ultimate job losses in the state would range from about 11,500 to 14,000,” he said.

Federal job cuts might not show up in state unemployment totals for months if people took offered buyouts providing pay until September.

Shuttered businesses

About four years ago, then-Rochester schoolteachers Justin and Lori Discoe started a non-alcoholic beverage business out of their Lee home.

About eight months ago, they finally broke even with what Justin Discoe called a “hobby business,” producing two Circle Back mocktail options.

But in recent months, the math stopped adding up.

And threatened tariffs killed it.

“For me, it was a very easy decision because we couldn’t make any money,” said Discoe, who moved recently to Colorado for family reasons.

Their beverages used imported monk fruit sweetener from China and used aluminum cans.

“We’re just seeing increases everywhere,” Discoe said, with some companies raising prices before tariffs went into effect.

Increased anxiety

Political and financial news has made many people anxious about paying their bills or losing their jobs.

“There are people very much struggling,” said Kristin Kraunelis, director of quality improvement at the Mental Health Center of Greater Manchester. “We know that from watching the news and hearing things on social media.”

Pete Costa, the center’s director of training, said the current times aren’t unique.

“I think a lack of control is not a new concept,” Costa said. “Everybody stresses out about things that are uncertain.”

Costa suggested people create daily rituals to help combat anxiety.

“It doesn’t have to be big things,” he said. “The start of my day that helps me feel my best self is sitting in the morning with my dog and coffee and taking some quiet time to be in that moment. It helps me to launch myself into the world in the best way that I can.”

Kraunelis said the world endured the coronavirus pandemic, “where anxieties were very high.”

“We all kind of banded together and supported each other as a community,” she said. “That’s what we do in New Hampshire. We take care of each other.”

Research threatened

For medical researchers, proposed cuts in funding from the National Institutes of Health could turn out to be a question of life or death.

Dartmouth College faces a potential $24 million cut from its $97 million in NIH funding in 2024.

“We don’t know what discoveries won’t be made as a result, but they might include a cure for some childhood cancer or treatment for Alzheimer’s or dozens of other diseases that are afflicting patients across our country,” Dean Madden, the college’s vice provost for research, said during a video chat with reporters last month.

He said 1,300 college employees get at least some of their salaries from federal grants. Those tied to NIH funding total about 900, a college spokeswoman said.

“That’s a really large impact in the region,” Madden said.

Dartmouth Health stands to lose $8 million of its $18.6 million in NIH funding.

Dartmouth Health has about 400 employees who receive at least part of their salary from a federal grant, according to Steven Bernstein, chief research officer at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center.

“In New Hampshire, that’s a lot of people,” Bernstein said.

Dartmouth Health spokeswoman Audra Burns said Dartmouth Health has about 370 employees who receive at least some compensation from federal grants, mostly from the NIH.

The Dartmouth Cancer Center receives grants both through Dartmouth College and Dartmouth Health.

Burns this week said “some projects are considering scaling back” their research.

“Dartmouth (College) has not scaled back grants or research and there has been no job loss,” said Jana Barnello, the college’s director of media relations and strategic communications.

Kicking the can

Rob North from Great North Aleworks said his company could defer higher costs for aluminum cans and barley from threatened tariffs by buying early.

“We have not yet had to pay extra for malt or cans, based on when (months ago) the raw malt and aluminum was moved across the border. We have a call scheduled with our can supplier on Monday when more information will be provided,” North said.

“Perhaps the biggest impact the threat of tariffs has is creating a lot of uncertainly in the economy,” North said. “It makes it very tough to consider expansion plans or hire more staff if the economic outlook is uncertain in a best case or bleak in a worst case.”

He said the company stocked up on cans that were made in America but with aluminum often mined in Canada.

“While we do currently have cans manufactured and in warehouse storage for use later into 2025, that warehouse space comes with a cost and is limited,” North said. “But it is the best we can do to help hedge against the threat of increased costs.”

Much of the malt the company uses is grown in western Canada.

“We will try our very best to avoid passing on extra costs to our consumers,” North said.

mcousineau@unionleader.com