Change is the only constant when it comes to the economy of Hampton Roads, according to Old Dominion University economists.

And with the government shutdown on its seventh day Tuesday, impacts to Hampton Roads will depend on how long it continues, Vinod Agarwal, director of ODU’s economic forecasting project, said after the annual State of the Region address in Norfolk.

“If it’s a couple of weeks, it’s not a big deal. It’s an inconvenience and sad,” Agarwal said. “The problem becomes if it gets extended. Who’s going to get paid and who’s not going to get paid?”

Data won’t be available until after the shutdown ends, but lost wages and the possible termination of employees would increase the impact of the furlough, Robert McNab, director of ODU’s Dragas Center for Economic Analysis and Po

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