Tennessee unemployment down slightly to 10.4 percent

Tennessee’s unemployment rate for May was 10.4 percent, down 0.1 percentage point from the previous month.

Tennessee Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development James Neeley said Thursday that “gains from the census jobs aside, the modest employment growth in Tennessee continues to be positive.”

The federal government increased by 10,100 due to the hiring of temporary census workers.

Neeley said the state is experiencing slightly higher monthly job growth than the national average. The national unemployment rate in May was 9.7 percent.

The state’s biggest job gains were in the fields of leisure and hospitality and professional and business services.

Source: WATE.com

N.C. jobless rate dips to 10.3 percent

North Carolina’s unemployment rate dropped to 10.3 percent in May from 10.8 percent in April, the state Employment Security Commission said Friday.

The statewide jobless rate was 10.9 percent in May 2009.
“Our state’s economy continues to experience a measure of improvement, based on the May data,” says Lynn Holmes, ESC chairman. “While there has been an increase of almost 30,000 jobs over the last three months, we continue to experience variation in the growth among the job sectors.”

North Carolina continues to creep closer to the national unemployment rate, which was 9.7 percent in May.

The sectors experiencing the most job growth in North Carolina in May were government, which gained 16,100 jobs; professional and business services, which added 1,600 jobs; and trade, transportation and utilities, which grew by 1,300 jobs. The largest decreases took place in manufacturing, which lost 2,900 jobs; and leisure and hospitality, which lost 2,700 jobs.

Local unemployment rates for May will be released June 25. The jobless rate in the Charlotte metro area fell to 11.1 percent in April from 12.1 percent in March. Mecklenburg County’s jobless rate fell to 10.1 percent in April from 11 percent the previous month.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

Tennessee unemployment rate declining, job seekers hopeful

The unemployment rate in Tennessee is down. Each month, fewer people have been seeking unemployment benefits.

Still, there are thousands of Tennesseans out of work. “Like most families, very stressful, and it’s a very difficult time,” says job seeker William Henley.

Henley’s unemployment benefits ran out months ago, but now he says there’s glimmer of hope. He was at the Tennessee Career Center in Knoxville on Thursday.

“Employers are beginning to list more job orders with us,” says the career center’s job service manager Tim Witt.

New unemployment claims have been dropping month after month. There were 58,569 claims filed in January statewide. In May, 22,860 claims were filed.

Witt says a small portion of the decline is a result of benefits running out, but in no way do the numbers mean Tennesseans are giving up.

“It’s a slow turnaround, but at least it’s turning around in the right direction,” Witt says, adding that the resources are available if job seekers are interested.

“Keep hope in life. That’s what I’m doing, just hoping that things will change,” Henley says.

Tennessee counties with some of the lowest unemployment rates include Knox, Roane, Loudon and Blount.

Scott County, on the other hand, has the highest unemployment rate in the state with 20.3 percent.

Nationally, 3,000 fewer Americans filed first time unemployment claims last week.

The number of people receiving continuing unemployment benefits dropped to just under 4.5 million, the lowest figure since December 2008.

Source: WATE.com

Ingold shutters operation in Hickory

Ingold Co. Inc. in Hickory has closed its doors after 114 years of operation.

In a letter to customers, the company says it will be dissolved in a bankruptcy, the Hickory Daily Record reports.

Alice Herman, Ingold president, couldn’t be reached for comment.

The letter states that financial losses associated with a “large, out-of-state project” forced the company out of business.

Ingold got its start in 1895 as a hardware business. The company’s products and services included roofing, industrial boiler systems, mechanical-system work and plumbing installation.

Company employment numbers were unavailable.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

N.C. construction jobs down 18%

North Carolina had 192,400 construction jobs in July, an 18.2 percent decline from a year ago, according to an analysis of federal employment data released Friday by the Associated General Contractors of America.

The analysis found that 47 states saw declines in construction employment, while only two saw increases and one saw no change in construction employment between July 2008 and July 2009.

Arizona and Nevada led the nation in construction job losses, while only Louisiana and North Dakota saw increases in construction jobs.

Work has been hurt by a near halt in office and retail construction and stimulus spending that has yet to materialize, association Chief Executive Stephen Sandherr said in a statement.

“There aren’t a lot of places construction workers can turn to avoid the steep layoffs sweeping the construction industry right now,” he said.

Sandherr said each of the five hardest-hit states in July saw construction employment declines greater than 20 percent over the previous year. The worst hit was Arizona, which had a 28 percent decrease in construction employment.

Sandherr said the new employment figures point to the need for federal and state officials to move faster in allocating the estimated $135 billion in stimulus-funded construction programs.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

Panasonic cuts Tennessee jobs, moves unit to Texas

A unit of Panasonic Corp. will end production of audio speakers and electronic capacitors in Tennessee and move the division headquarters to Texas to be closer to manufacturing operations in Mexico.

Knoxville-based Panasonic Electronic Devices Corp. of America is transferring speaker production to Reynosa, Mexico, and snap-in capacitor production to Asian factories. The division headquarters is moving to McAllen, Texas, to be nearer the Mexico plant.

Company spokesman Clark Brandon said the moves will eliminate 90 jobs in Knoxville, leaving 80 employees in a facility that had more than 700 at its peak in 2002.

Osaka, Japan-based parent Panasonic Corp. posted a loss for a third straight quarter on Monday.

Source: WATE

Philips Products to cease operations

Philips Products Inc. is ceasing operations, including those at a plant in Chester County.

The Indiana-based company makes windows and doors for recreational vehicles and manufactured housing.

Chester County Supervisor Carlisle Roddey estimates the plant has 130 to 150 employees, which is in the Chester County Industrial Park, according to the (Chester) News & Reporter.

The local plant will close in August.

A company spokesman could not be reached for comment.

Philips Products has 675 workers, according to Indiana press accounts.

Source: Charlotte Business Journal

Local businesses announce more layoffs

Camel Manufacturing said Monday it plans to cut 68 jobs in the next month at its plant in Fentress County.

That’s according to a report by the State Department of Labor and Workforce Development.

Camel says demand is down for its tents and awnings, prompting the layoffs.

Smurfit-Stone Container, makers of cardboard boxes in Knoxville, told the state it cut 12 jobs as of May 1.

The layoffs were second for the company this year.

Source: WATE

Century-old family business in Morristown folding

After a century of ups and downs, a Main Street Morristown landmark is falling victim to the economy.

The business was founded in 1908 by Lynn Sheeley as Lynn Sheeley Music Company. He passed it down to his son-in-law and it became Carlisle Music in 1977.

“Business was very good,” says former owner Tom Carlisle.

The 94-year-old hoped this day would never come. “I certainly didn’t think my family would be the one to close it. I hate it.”

His daughter, Carole Jones, store manager for 30 years, says sales have been slumping the last 18 months.

“I think it’s been a combination of Internet sales and the larger chains,’ Jones says.

In her Grandfather’s day, she remembers the store for its large record collection.

“For Christmas and birthday presents, we always got the records that didn’t sell so I had the world’s largest collection of bagpipe albums,” Jones says.

During her father’s era, the store was popular for pianos.

“We had four floors packed full,” Carlisle says.

Most recently, the store was known for its sheet music inventory, which is quickly dwindling in the clearance sale.

For the time being, students continue their lessons upstairs, but the end is coming soon and everyone can feel it.

“I’m going to start crying here, to know that you’ve been a part of helping someone have that love of music,” Jones says.

“A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful friends we’ve made through the years,” Carlisle says.

The family is planning a closing celebration for the final day in business.

They invite all their current and former customers to come and say goodbye on Saturday, May 30, from 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at 109 East Main Street in Morristown.

Source: WATE

Hopeful Sign in Labor Market as Pace of Job Losses Slows

The economy continues to lose jobs at a rapid pace, but payroll figures released Wednesday show signs that the labor market is improving.

Private employers cut 491,000 jobs in April, according to a report from payroll company Automatic Data Processing Inc. and forecasting firm Macroeconomic Advisers, compared with a steeper cut of 708,000 jobs in March. With government jobs continuing to expand, the report suggests that Friday’s government payroll report will show a loss of 483,000 jobs, far fewer than March’s 663,000 jobs lost.

“Before things get better, they have to get bad by less,” said Macroeconomic Advisers economist Ben Herzon. “If this is right, it suggests the labor market has reached an inflection point.”

Economists had projected that Friday’s report would show a decline of 610,000. But following the ADP report, which is based on a sample derived from roughly 24 million employees, some economists upgraded their estimates.

Source: Wall Street Journal