Labor
Retailers pare back their seasonal hiring to prepare for ho-hum holidays
Black Friday shoppers may notice longer lines and fewer retail associates in some of their favorite stores than in past holiday seasons as retailers scale back seasonal hiring over concerns about consumer spending. JCPenney is hiring 12,000 fewer workers than last year. Macy’s 3,000 fewer. Meanwhile a Walmart executive said the retail giant has been […]
Residents of Midwest, Mountain West see biggest pay bumps
Residents of some Midwestern and Mountain states gained the most income per capita during the past four years, a Stateline analysis shows, as competition for workers drove up wages in relatively affordable places to live. With the COVID-19 pandemic now in the nation’s rearview mirror, Stateline’s analysis offers a more complete understanding of how some […]
A historic housing construction boom may finally moderate rent hikes
An unprecedented surge in the nationwide construction of new housing — mostly apartments — may finally be making a dent in fast-rising rents that have been making life harder for tenants. More than 1.65 million housing units were under construction last year, the highest annual number since federal record-keeping started in 1969. This year, the […]
Jobs report surprises as employers add 336,000 jobs in September
Employers continued their hiring streak in September, surprising economists by boosting jobs for workers in restaurants, health care, and government. The Bureau of Labor Statistics monthly jobs report, released Friday, showed a gain of 336,000 jobs. The unemployment rate held steady at 3.8%. The BLS also revised up the jobs added in July and August […]
Women workers could bear economic brunt as federal child care funding ends
A huge chunk of pandemic relief funding that kept child care programs afloat for the past few years is set to run out Saturday, and policy advocates say the economic impact will be profound, with the ripple effect hurting labor force participation and consumer spending at a time when the country is still trying to […]
Biden will travel to Michigan on Tuesday to support striking UAW workers
President Joe Biden will travel to Michigan next week in a historic show of support for striking Ford, GM and Stellantis UAW workers. “Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they […]
Workers at 38 GM and Stellantis auto suppliers called to join UAW strike
Workers at a total of 38 auto parts plants, including Martinsburg Parts Distribution Center in West Virginia, will join the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against Detroit Three auto manufacturers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. All the parts distribution facilities for General Motors and Stellantis across the country are called to the stand up and […]
States and cities eye stronger protections for gig economy workers
Joshua Wood remembers days during the COVID-19 lockdown when New York City’s streets were practically empty, save for workers like him. That experience convinced the 25-year-old Brooklynite — who makes deliveries for both Uber Eats and a package delivery service — that the gig economy needed some urgent changes. Roughly 1 in 6 American adults […]
Consumers face higher car prices, lower inventory with auto workers on strike
Economic experts and researchers say that the auto workers strike could have far-reaching economic consequences for businesses and consumers, depending on its duration. In addition to workers’ job losses, consumers could see higher prices for cars and depleted inventory. The United Auto Workers union, representing about 150,000 auto workers, walked off the job at midnight […]
Registration open for annual Minority Business Expo
Registration is now open for the ninth annual Minority Business Expo, slated for 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 12 at the Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center, 200 Civic Center Drive in Charleston. The event, hosted by the state Herbert Henderson Office of Minority Affairs, brings together minorities, women business owners and veterans to promote […]
West Virginia State Archives film collection gets big screen treatment in ‘King Coal’
About 30 minutes into director Elaine Sheldon’s new film “King Coal,” the sides of the frame suddenly begin to creep inward. It happens on a wide shot of two young girls, sitting on a bench, crafting friendship bracelets. A small West Virginia town unfolds behind them. But as the black bars encroach on the corners […]
Eco-friendly food packaging company opening facility in Martinsburg
A new eco-friendly food packing company will open a facility in Berkeley County, bringing 600 jobs to the area. Gov. Jim Justice announced the new economic project Thursday during the West Virginia Chamber Annual Business Summit at his luxury resort, The Greenbrier. Treplar will invest $50 million into the state and is opening a facility […]