January jobs report filled with positive economic news
Employers raised pay, more people felt confident enough to look for work, and the unemployment rate dipped to 4.9 percent, its lowest level since 2008.
Employment
Articles
Retirements, aging population cause nursing shortage
Facing a surge of retiring nurses and a growing number of patients, Indiana hospitals are scrambling to fill thousands of nursing positions, raising questions about whether they will be able to keep operations fully staffed.
Caterpillar closing 5 plants, cutting 670 jobs
The cuts over several states are part of a larger cost-saving campaign announced last year. They’re expected to affect operations in Indiana, where Caterpillar employs about 3,000.
Wal-Mart to close 269 stores amid increasing competition
Of the 154 stores being closed in the U.S., 102 will be in its Walmart Express category, which has been in a pilot program since 2011. About 10,000 U.S. employees will be affected.
Michigan’s minimum wage rising to $8.50 an hour
Michigan workers making the minimum wage will see a 35-cents-an-hour raise starting Friday. Indiana’s minimum wage will remain $7.25 per hour.
U.S. applications for jobless aid continue decline
The U.S. job market continues to appear strikingly robust. Over the past 12 months, the number of people collecting unemployment benefits has dropped 7.7 percent to 2.2 million.
Startup seeks $2M to help employers fill low-skill jobs
The Indianapolis tech firm founded by Internet job-board veterans is focusing on the proximity of job candidates to the workplace for high-turnover positions.
State jobless rate holds steady at 4.4 percent
Solid October job gains in the manufacturing sector in were offset in part by losses in construction, hospitality and professional business services.
Forecast for 2016: Strategist says slow economic growth ahead
If the U.S. economy were a compact car, it would be running on just three of four cylinders. That was the central message of a Fifth Third Bank expert at IBJ's 2016 Economic Forecast on Wednesday.
State jobless rate continues slide, hitting 4.5 percent
Indiana’s unemployment rate dropped to its lowest point in eight years in September as the private sector added 6,600 jobs.
Some executives already bracing for next recession
While many CEOs are planning for the next fiscal year, a cohort of local executives is planning for the next fiscal downturn. Group members have their eyes on 2019, forecast by some economists to be the year the next economic contraction arrives.
Angie’s List restructuring its 1,000-person sales force
The firm is aiming to boost revenue with the biggest reorganization of its sales force in its 20-year history. But some salespeople fear the changes will cut their compensation.
Soapmaker Gilchrist & Soames scooped up by Sysco unit
The Indianapolis-based producer of high-end soaps, shampoos and conditioners for hotels and resorts will become part of Guest Supply but keep its local operations.
German firm chooses Indy for North American expansion
LKE Group, which makes products for transporting goods and materials, plans to establish its operations just south of Indianapolis International Airport.
FAST 25: Tech Trades
Eight years ago, Mark Hall bought Tech Trades out of receivership. The timing, he said, turned out to be perfect.
FAST 25: Bottom-Line Performance Inc.
3-year growth: 72 percent 2014 revenue: $2.7 million Changing the business: Like many companies, Bottom-Line Performance experienced a big downturn in 2008-2009. The company was 100-percent service-based, creating training programs for customers to support product launches or customer education. President Sharon Boller said she realized that “survival and growth would have to come by diversifying—offering […]
PR agency Borshoff plans leadership shakeup
Managing Principal Susan Matthews plans to step down at the end of 2015, leading to a shakeup in duties for the remaining principals of the Indy area’s largest agency.
U.S. adds 223,000 jobs as jobless rate slips to 5.3 percent
The rate fell mostly because many people out of work gave up on their job searches and were no longer counted as unemployed. Average hourly pay was flat.
Greenwood HR firm plans expansion, 245 hires by 2020
Human resources and corporate benefits firm Tilson expects a tidal wave of new workers by the end of the decade as firms try to cope with complex employee requirements.
State jobless rate drops to 5.1 percent for May
The Indiana unemployment mark is below the national rate of 5.5 percent for April and down from the state’s 6.0 percent mark in January.