It’s a tough time to be looking for a job, especially for those fresh out of college. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that in June 2009, the unemployment rate for 16- to 24-year-olds was nearly 18 percent, more than double that of 25- to 54-year-olds (8.5 percent) and workers over 54 (7 percent). Not [...]
Entries from July 2009
July 30, 2009
Brunswick 2Q loss rises to $163M as boat sales sink
Brunswick Corp. continues to be hammered by weak demand for its boats and otherproducts. The parent of Knoxville-based Sea Ray Boats, said Thursday it lost $163.7 million, or $1.85 per diluted share. That’s up sharply from a loss of $6 million, or 7 cents per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2008. However, the [...]
July 30, 2009
2Q 2009 Offers Encouragement to Housing Industry
The second quarter of 2009 delivered a bit of encouragement to those watching the housing industry in Western North Carolina. While year to date home sales demonstrate a continued decline over the prior year, the month over prior year numbers have gradually improved each month during the past quarter. In fact, Beverly-Hanks & Associates sales [...]
July 30, 2009
City to co-sponsor ‘Understanding Lawful Employment’ seminar
ASHEVILLE — The City of Asheville, A-B Tech, and the Department of Homeland Security are co-sponsoring an “Understanding Lawful Employment” seminar from 9:30 a.m.-noon Tuesday in Room 200 of the Haynes Building on the A-B Tech Enka Campus. The seminar is designed to give local employers an opportunity to learn how to file and use [...]
July 30, 2009
Jobless rate flat in WNC, rises in Buncombe
ASHEVILLE — The region’s tough job market continued in June, although some experts say they see a few small signs of improvement going forward. The overall unemployment rate in Western North Carolina remained unchanged from May to June at 10.4 percent, but the rate rose in Buncombe County, according to figures released Friday by the [...]
July 30, 2009
98 of top metros suffer job losses
Ninety-eight of the nation’s 100 largest labor markets lost jobs between the midpoints of 2008 and 2009, according to a report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Each of the five N.C. markets covered in the report posted job losses. Charlotte, with more than 53,000 jobs lost, was the hardest hit. Greensboro lost 21,000 [...]
July 30, 2009
Bank of America May Trim Branches…
July 29 (Bloomberg) — Bank of America Corp., the largest U.S. bank, may cut branches over the next three years because customers increasingly rely on the Internet and mobile phones to manage their accounts, an executive said. “We’re seeing a strong acceleration in our customers using our virtual channels,” Liam McGee, president of consumer and [...]
July 30, 2009
Economy Stabilizing but Charlotte Region ‘Weak’
The economy is showing signs of stabilizing in some regions of the country – especially in parts of the Northeast and Midwest – bolstering hopes of a broader-based recovery this year. Economic conditions in the Richmond, Va., district, which includes the Carolinas, however, remain “weak.” A Federal Reserve snapshot of economic conditions issued Wednesday found [...]
July 20, 2009
Waynesville’s Wellco to shutter; HVO to step in
Wellco Enterprises, Inc., which has been making military boots since 1941, will close the doors at its Waynesville plant in September. Wellco employs about 75 people, according to the Haywood County Chamber of Commerce. “Unfortunately, it is no longer economically feasible for Wellco to continue its Waynesville operations,” Lee Ferguson, chief executive officer of Tactical [...]
July 20, 2009
Handyman franchise opens
Tom DeCarlo has opened a local franchise of the Andy OnCall handyman business. A Clemson University graduate and local resident since 2000, DeCarlo has 28 years of experience in packaging manufacturing, most recently with Shorewoood Packaging. Based in Chattanooga, Tenn., Andy OnCall was founded 15 years ago and now has 56 franchises in 21 states. [...]
