Baltimore's businesses shudder after riots, now fear investment, tourism will be hit

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A night of arson and looting in Baltimore has shaken the confidence of people running businesses beyond the areas hardest hit. In particular, they are concerned a city that took many years to start to recover from devastating riots in 1968 could be put back on its heels.

While Baltimore's unemployment rate is higher than the national average and it is lagging in per capita income, the city government's budget is stable, it has a diverse business sector, elite universities and medical facilities, and a growing number of tourists flock to its downtown harbour.