No one was planning for a pandemic when rumblings started in early 2020, but here we are a year and half later trying to understand what happened and where to go next. When it comes to Pennsylvaniaâs economy, the answers are not as simple as going back to how things were before. Business and political experts agree the state has to do better for future generations than before this interruption. âNo one was happy with what Pennsylvania looked like in February 2020,â PA Chamber of Business and Industry President and CEO Gene Barr recently told reporters during a media briefing about state chamber initiatives.