Job Creation & Labor

Iowa Board Approves $7M In Incentives For New Jobs

January 21, 2013 2:26 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

State economic development officials offered $7 million in incentives to nine companies promising to create hundreds of jobs. In Friday's round of project approvals, the Iowa Economic Development Board offered incentives and loans to projects from existing companies that are proposing business expansions, the Des Moines Register reported.

Judge Dismisses IN Right-To-Work Law Challenge

January 18, 2013 2:13 pm | by Tom Davies, Associated Press | News | Comments

A federal judge on Thursday dismissed a lawsuit filed by union members challenging Indiana's right-to-work law that was enacted last year. U.S. District Court Judge Philip Simon in Hammond ruled that none of the union's arguments against the law could succeed in federal court, although a challenge could still be made in state courts.

Delaware Firm To Add Manufacturing Jobs

January 18, 2013 10:11 am | by Randall Chase, Associated Press | News | Comments

A Delaware firm best known for manufacturing NASA spacesuits is relocating a recently acquired subsidiary's manufacturing operations to Sussex County, with plans to bring 115 new jobs to Delaware. Gov. Jack Markell announced Thursday that ILC Dover will bring the manufacturing operations of Grayling Industries to a new plant near Seaford later this year.

Nokia Sheds 300 IT Jobs, Transfers 820 Workers

January 17, 2013 1:46 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Struggling Nokia Corp. is downsizing by more than 1,000 jobs, part of a wide-ranging plan to cut costs and streamline operations. The Finnish firm says it will lay off 300 workers in its IT sector and transfer "some activities and up to 820 employees to strategic partners," India-based HCL Technologies and TATA Consultancy Services, which have operations in Finland.

Caterpillar To Start Hiring Workers For GA Plant

January 16, 2013 10:06 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Officials at Caterpillar Inc. are seeking applicants for jobs at the company's new plant being constructed in northeast Georgia. The openings represent the latest milestone in the company's development of a one-million-square-foot facility the company is constructing in the Athens area. Workers will build tractors and excavators at the plant.

Renault Seeks 7,500 Headcount Reduction In France

January 15, 2013 2:25 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Renault says it needs to cut its headcount by about 17 percent — or 7,500 jobs — in France over the next three years to stem losses amid a downturn in Europe's car market. In a statement Tuesday, the French car maker says it is proposing to cut the headcount by 2016, largely by not replacing departing workers.

Jet Engine Maker Pratt & Whitney To Cut 350 Jobs

January 15, 2013 2:22 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney says it's cutting 350 salaried workers, about 200 of those jobs are in Connecticut. The subsidiary of United Technologies Corp. said Tuesday that it's responding to "business and economic conditions." The company, based in East Hartford, Conn., said the cuts are necessary to remain competitive.

Denso Plans $1B North American Investment

January 15, 2013 2:20 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Auto parts supplier Denso Corp. plans to invest nearly $1 billion in North America over the next four years and add more than 2,000 jobs as it works to localize its operations. The investment from the Japanese company was announced Tuesday during press previews for the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

Danny Glover Backs Union Protest Against Nissan

January 15, 2013 10:42 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Actor Danny Glover has joined supporters of unionization for workers at a Nissan Motor Co. assembly plant in Mississippi demonstrating outside the North American International Auto Show. The Mississippi Alliance for Fairness at Nissan protested Monday next to Detroit's Cobo Center.

Hemlock Laying Off 300 Of 400 Workers

January 15, 2013 10:36 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Hemlock Semiconductor is laying off three-fourths of its employees in Clarksville shortly before the planned start of production at its new $1.2 billion plant. Officials of the Michigan-based company met with The Leaf-Chronicle on Monday and said the company is laying off 300 of its 400 employees in Clarksville and 100 workers at its Michigan plant.

Jaguar Adds 800 Jobs As China Sales Accelerate

January 14, 2013 2:21 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Car company Jaguar Land Rover says it's adding 800 jobs in Britain as it enjoys a big boost in sales in China, which is now the luxury auto brand's largest market. Jaguar Land Rover said in a statement late Sunday that it had sold nearly 72,000 vehicles in China last year, more than the roughly 68,000 vehicles it sold in its U.K. home market.

Boeing To Build 787 Tail Part In Utah

January 11, 2013 2:05 pm | by Paul Foy, Associated Press | News | Comments

Aircraft maker Boeing Co. announced Friday it will expand manufacturing operations in Utah by opening a third factory in the Salt Lake City area to fabricate a tail piece for the Boeing 787. Boeing is taking over a factory originally built by KraftMaid Cabinetry in the Salt Lake suburb of West Jordan, where Gov. Gary Herbert joined company officials Friday for the announcement.

Honda Announces Plans To Cut 800 Jobs

January 11, 2013 10:20 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Japanese automaker Honda says it will cut about one in four jobs at its UK factory as it struggles with low demand in Europe. Honda Motor Europe says poor sales across Europe due to the region's economic crisis are behind the loss of 800 positions among its 3,500 member workforce in Swindon. The plant makes the Civic, Jazz and CR-V models.

Army Will Keep Tanks Rolling Out Of OH Plant

January 9, 2013 2:02 pm | by John Seewer, Associated Press | News | Comments

A new defense spending plan will keep the nation's only tank manufacturing plant operating through the next two years, ending months of worry about the future of the factory where about 800 workers refurbish the Abrams tanks. Funding for tank upgrades has been on the chopping block the past two years and the debate over the potential cuts backed by the White House entered into the presidential campaign this past fall.

Unemployment Risks Creating A New Divide In Europe

January 8, 2013 2:39 pm | by Don Melvin, Raf Casert, Associated Press | News | Comments

Record unemployment and fraying social welfare systems in southern Europe risk creating a new divide in the continent, the EU warned Tuesday, when figures showed joblessness across the 17 EU countries that use the euro hit a new high. Eurozone unemployment rose to 11.8 percent in November, the highest since the euro currency was founded in 1999, according to the statistical agency Eurostat.

Eastern KY Coca-Cola Plant Expanding

January 7, 2013 2:11 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A Coca-Cola plant and warehouse in southeastern Kentucky is expanding, with a company official saying more room is necessary to accommodate growing sales. The plant in Middlesboro will grow by about 24,000 square feet. Regional Sales Manager Bobby Abbott told The Daily News the company needs a place to put more items and new equipment.

Silica Facility In Campbell Co. To Create 300 Jobs

January 7, 2013 10:19 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Commonwealth Applied Silica Technologies plans to open a manufacturing facility in Campbell County that's expected to create 300 jobs. Richmond-based Commonwealth plans to invest $35 million in the new facility, which will be constructed on the former Archer Creek Foundry site. The facility will process silica ore and extract high-value components for resale.

Chevrolet Sonic Tells Story Of Detroit Comeback

January 4, 2013 2:07 pm | by Dee-Ann Durbin, Tom Krisher, AP Auto Writers | News | Comments

When the word reached the Orion Assembly Plant, it spread along the serpentine assembly line like news of a death or natural disaster: GM had filed for bankruptcy protection. But there was something that the workers didn't know: They were witnessing the opening act of one of the greatest recovery stories in American business.

Ralcorp Closing 2 NY Manufacturing Plants

January 4, 2013 1:56 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Food company Ralcorp Holdings Inc. says it will close two upstate New York manufacturing facilities in a move that will leave 375 workers without jobs. The St. Louis-based company says it will close its Silver Creek and Dunkirk facilities in western New York as it shifts manufacturing to improve efficiency.

Jet Engine Manufacturer To Expand MT Operations

January 4, 2013 10:16 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

A firm that builds components for jet engines in Butte, Mont. plans to expand its operations. GE Aviation and Marysville, Wash.-based SeaCast Inc. announced Thursday that they have established a joint venture — Montana Precision Products — to produce jet engine components at SeaCast's facility in Butte.

Economy Adds 155K Jobs; Unemployment Holds Steady

January 4, 2013 10:13 am | by Christopher S. Rugaber, AP Economics Writer | News | Comments

U.S. employers added 155,000 jobs in December, a steady gain that shows hiring held up during the tense negotiations to resolve the fiscal cliff. The solid job growth wasn't enough to push down the unemployment rate, which remained 7.8 percent last month, the Labor Department said Friday. The rate for November was revised up from an initially reported 7.7 percent.

Felman, Union Agree On New Contract At WV Plant

January 2, 2013 2:03 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Felman Production LLC and the United Steelworkers have agreed on a new contract at the company's ferroalloys plant in New Haven, W. Va. Felman announced the agreement with United Steelworkers Local 5171 on Wednesday. It says the 42-month contract will cover more than 215 workers.

Sale Of Closed OH Auto Plant Gives Hope For Jobs

January 2, 2013 10:15 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

The sale of a former General Motors plant in north-central Ohio is raising hopes that new jobs will be coming. Representatives of a Miami-based firm that will own the former auto factory near Mansfield say they have two potential tenants that could bring 1,100 jobs combined.

Ford Spending $773M On MI Plants

January 2, 2013 10:07 am | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Ford is spending about $773 million to expand six Michigan manufacturing plants while adding 2,350 factory jobs in the state, part of a broader investment plan announced last year. Ford Motor Co., which is based in Dearborn, Mich., aims to invest $6.2 billion in U.S. facilities and add 12,000 factory jobs across the country by 2015.

Boeing Cuts 100 CO Jobs After Lost Contract

December 21, 2012 2:00 pm | by The Associated Press | News | Comments

Boeing is cutting about 100 jobs in Colorado after losing a major contract, but the aerospace company said many of the employees could be offered jobs with a competitor that won the contract. Boeing lost its contract to maintain software used by the Air Force Space Command to control the Global Positioning System satellite network to Lockheed Martin Corp.