Navy boosts local economy by $12.6 billion

The Navy has significantly increased what it’s paying its people – including 111,842 workers in Hampton Roads – in a move that’s having a big impact on the local economy.

The Navy spent $7.27 billion on payroll expenses for its active duty and civilian workers here last year – up 10.6 percent from what it paid virtually the same number of people the year before, according to a study released Wednesday by the Navy’s Mid-Atlantic Command.