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In Virginia (with the exception of Loudoun and Fairfax Counties and the cities of Arlington and Alexandria which are served by the Metropolitan Washington District Office), the SB A has approved 79 percent more 7(a) loans through early February than in the same period a year ago.
• Loans under our 504 program, used mainly for the purchase of real estate and capital equipment, are up 16 percent in FY05 over the same period in FY04. Loans to African Americans and women under 7(a) and 504 are up 57 percent and 51 percent respectively. Loans to Hispanics are up 16 percent and to Asian-Americans, loans are up 20 percent. We estimate that in the first three months of the current fiscal year, SBA programs facilitated the creation or retention of 168,000 jobs.
The numbers continue to astound some. But they shouldn’t. Recognizing that
93.7%