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Thursday, October 7, 2010
Ethanol plant secures supplier: BlueFire Renewables recently announced a 15-year contract with Cooper Marine & Timberlands to provide feedstock for the company’s planned cellulosic ethanol facility in Fulton. [Itawamba County Times, 10.7.10]
Friday, September 29, 2010
Advanced Innovations plans to expand Baldwyn plant with 40 jobs: For millions of Americans looking for a better night's sleep, Sleeping Innovations' mattresses and pillows have been the answer. [NEMS Daily Journal, 9.29.10]
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Local jobless rate drops by 30 percent in August: Lafayette County’s unemployment rate fell steeply from July to August, dropping from 9.8 percent to 6.9 percent — a nearly 30 percent decline in the number of unemployed people in the local workforce. [Oxford Eagle, 9.28.10]
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Regional jobless rate drops to 10.2 percent: The unemployment rate for Northeast Mississippi fell to 10.2 percent in August, the best showing this year and the lowest since November’s 10.4 percent. [NEMS Daily Journal, 9.23.10]
Fulton ethanol plant gets its first customer: California-based BlueFire Renewables announced this week a 15-year take-off agreement with Tenaska BioFuels LLC for the purchase and sale of all ethanol produced at its planned Fulton plant. [Itawamba County Journal. 9.23.10]
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Topashaw Farms new packing facility employing 30: Topashaw Farms’ new 45,000-square-foot sweet potato facility in Vardaman is the latest significant investment in the industry here in Calhoun County. [Calhoun County Journal, 9.22.10]
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Sweet potato farmers seeing bounce-back season: his year is shaping up to be a sweet one for Mississippi sweet potato growers, a total change from the rains that destroyed 75 percent of last year’s crop at harvest. [MS Business Journal, 9.21.10]
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Mississippi jobless rate to 10 percent in August: Mississippi's unemployment rate dipped to 10 percent in August from 10.8 percent in July. [NEMS Daily Journal, 9.21.10]
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Dignitaries celebrate opening of Paccar engine plant: The ribbon cutting was the centerpiece of a gala evening that included an address by Pigott and company officials, a tour of the 400,000 square-foot plant and a catered dinner. The meal was served in an entrance lobby dominated by two gigantic trucks, a metallic-blue Kenworth and a fire-engine red Peterbilt. Both are Paccar products.[Columbus Dispatch, 9.15.10]
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Enerkem committed to Pontotoc plant: Enerkem Corp. CEO Vincent Chornet said a proposed $100 million ethanol-producing plant is still on track for an early 2011 construction start. [NEMS Daily Journal, 9.1.10]
Mississippi leaders consider saving some stimulus money: Republican Gov. Haley Barbour and a bipartisan group of Mississippi lawmakers are considering saving, rather than spending, one of the two pots of federal stimulus money Congress recently approved. [Business Week, 9.1.10]
WIN celebrates grand opening: The WIN Job Center made a big move when they relocated to Monroe Street in Houston, but even bigger are the programs available to the community and surrounding areas. [Chickasaw County Journal, 9.1.10]
Friday, August 27, 2010
Three plants proposed for Mississippi to produce cleaner crude oil from wood: A Houston, Texas, company backed by Silicon Valley investors plans to build three plants in Mississippi to convert wood into a crude oil substitute that produces few gashouse emissions when refined into gasoline. [DeSoto Commercial Appeal, 8.27.10]
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Water Valley plant expansion will add more jobs
After months of negotiations, it’s finally official — Borg Warner Drivetrain Systems’ Water Valley facility will be expanding. The expansion, which will include the addition of a “mini direct-acting solenoids” production line to the Water Valley facility, means more jobs. [Oxford Eagle, 8.26.10]
Region's jobless rate jumps to 13.4%: Doubts about the pace of an economic recovery haven’t helped with employment, and the latest figures for Mississippi reflect that sentiment. [NEMS Daily Journal, 8.26.10]
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Paccar engine plant hires 90 new workers: Ninety new workers have been hired by Paccar's Columbus plant, as the maker of engines for commercial trucks readies to begin production by the end of the year.[ Columbus Dispatch, 8.24.10]
Monday, August 21, 2010
Stimulus to spare 170 jobs: DeSoto County Schools stands to gain about $6 million and save about 170 jobs from federal stimulus funds the state plans to seek to aid education, local officials said Friday. [DeSoto Commercial Appeal, 8.21.10]
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Smithville Telephone gets $7.1 million broadband grant: Smithville Telephone Co. has received a $7.1 million federal grant for rural broadband Internet development, U.S. Rep. Travis Childers announced Wednesday in a joint teleconference with Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack. [NEMS Daily Journal, 8.19.10]
Monday, August 16, 2010
Toyota Water: Big thirst, big client: Toyota soon will become Tupelo Water & Light’s biggest customer, pumping in and out millions of gallons of drinking and waste water daily when its new plant ramps up to full production. [NEMS Daily Journal, 8.14.10]
Monday, August 9, 2010
Lafayette County could add 1,000 jobs: East Alton Telegraph said ammunition maker Winchester, a division of Olin Corp., may be moving its Centerfire ammunition operation and 1,000 workers to Oxford from its East Alton plant. [NEMS Daily Journal, 8.7.10]
Report shows Columbus base boosts local economy: A new economic impact report shows the Columbus Air Force Base's payroll and annual expenditures pumped $287 million in the local economy in 2009. [NEMS Daily Journal, 8.9.10]
Corinth plant closing to leave 400 without jobs: Quad/Graphics Inc. will close its Corinth plant by the end of the year, a move that leaves about 400 employees without a job. [ NEMS Daily Journal, 8.7.10]
Friday, August 6, 2010
New partners to Severstal in Lowndes County could bring up to 120 jobs: At the completion of expected expansions by both companies over the next few years, Mississippi Steel Processing and New Process Steel will have the combined potential to employ 120 people. The Severstal expansion likely will be completed in late 2011 or early 2012. [ Columbus Dispatch, 8.5.10]
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Toyota supplier to resume operations in Baldwyn: Auto Parts Manufacturing Mississippi Inc., the U.S. operations of Toyota Auto Body Co., Ltd., will move forward with its plans to provide stamped parts, body weld parts and plastic parts to the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi plant at Blue Springs. The $200-million facility in Baldwyn will employ close to 300 people. [MS Business Journal: 8.3.10]
Monday, August 2, 2010
Green-tech plant to provide 350 jobs in Olive Branch: A company headquartered in California's Silicon Valley announced plans Friday to bring the struggle for a greener world to Olive Branch. Soladigm Inc. will open a manufacturing plant to make high-tech windows to reduce the energy consumed in a building. The plant will create 350 jobs. [DeSoto Times Tribune, July 31, 2010]
Up to 340 face layoffs at Navistar: An already battered job market took another big hit this week, as West Point’s Navistar Defense facility announced it is currently in the process of laying off up to 340 temporary workers. [Daily Times Leader, 8.2.10]
Friday, July 30, 2010
Navistar Plant in West Point announces layoffs: An already battered job market took another big hit this week, as West Point’s Navistar Defense facility announced it is currently in the process of laying off up to 340 temporary workers. [West Point Daily Leader, 7.30.10]
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Soladigm to bring 350 jobs: Soladigm, Inc., a green-tech company from California's Silicon Valley which manufactures smart, energy efficient windows, is expected to announce on Friday its plans to locate in the Olive Branch Industrial Park.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Grenada Plant Expanding: The Grenada County Economic Development District (the EDD) announced today that Grenada Stamping and Assembly, supplier of parts to the appliance, automotive, HVAC/R and off-highway markets is expanding its operations in Grenada.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Grenada Stamping expanding, adding jobs: Grenada Stamping and Assembly is adding 25 jobs as it expands its manufacturing plant in Grenada.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Steel manufacturer chooses Yellow Creek for plant site: Dennen Steel Corp. of Grand Rapids, Mich., will locate a manufacturing plant at the Yellow Creek Port in Iuka. [MS Business Journal, 7.9.10]
Thursday, July 8, 2010
DOE approves BlueFire Ethanol's application: BlueFire Ethanol Fuels Inc. announced that the Department of Energy (DOE) has determined that BlueFire Ethanol has met the requirements necessary for Phase I of the application process and that the company has been invited to continue on to Phase II for the financing of its Fulton project. [MS Business Journal, 7.8.10]
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Worthington Cylinders, a maker of pressure tanks and pressure cylinders, plans to increase its work force by nearly 50 percent in the next few years. [NEMS Daily Journal, 6.29.10]
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
IHL report finds mixed economic indicators: The economy is showing signs of life in Mississippi with retail sales rising and tax revenues stabilizing, but unemployment is still hovering near 10 percent, according to the June 2010 issue of the Mississippi Economic Review and Outlook. [MS Business Journal, 6.22.10]
Friday, June 18, 2010
State's unemployment rate drops slightly: Mississippi’s unemployment rate dropped slightly to 11.4 percent in May while still far exceeding the figure from a year ago. [MS Business Journal, 6.18.10]
Thursday, June 17, 2010
TOYOTA: Moving forward again: Toyota will resume construction of a plant at Blue Springs, hiring 2,000 workers. [NEMS Daily Journal, 6.17.10]
Monday, June 14, 2010
International Paper to add jobs in Olive Branch: International Paper will add 20 jobs to its Olive Branch plant after closing its corrugated container plant in Jonesboro, Ark., according to company officials. [DeSoto Times Tribune, 6.11.10]
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Unemployment claims fall: The tally of laid-off workers continuing to claim jobless benefits fell by the largest amount in almost a year, suggesting that more unemployed workers may be finding work. [Associated Press, 6.10.10]
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Fed Survey: Recovery Spreads Across Country: The economic recovery is finally spreading to all parts of the country. But the modest pace of growth suggests companies won't be ramping up hiring to quickly drive down unemployment. [NPR, 6.9.10]
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Demand for timber rises: After three years of depressed timber markets, prices are increasing because of strong demand for forest products and low inventories of logs following the year’s wettest months. [MS Business Journal, 6.8.10]
Builders see more business: One traditional sign the economy is rebounding is when more builders see more business. More building means an increase in the demand for more wood materials for this construction. The employees at Roseburg Forest Products in Oxford are tickled to be taking more orders for their products. [Oxford Eagle, 6.7.10]
Monday, June 7, 2010
Calhoun unemployment among Mississippi's lowest: Calhoun County's unemployment rate dropped slightly in April, elevating it to among the lower rates in the state according to the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. [Calhoun County Journal, 6.7.10]
Panola County's newest employment figures: Panola County’s 2010 unemployment rate is still dropping, going from 14.6 percent in March to 13.6 percent in April. [The Panolian, 6.4.10]
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Twin Creeks breaks ground for plant: Twin Creeks Technologies has broken ground for its new solar panel manufacturing facility in Senatobia. [MS Business Journal, 6.1.10]
County's Jobless Rate Continues Slight Decline: Yalobusha County's unemployment rate is still dropping for the year going from 15.4 percent in March to 14.5 percent in April. [North Mississippi Herald, 6.2.10]
Unemployment Insurance Weekly claims decrease: In the week ending May 29, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 453,000, a decrease of 10,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 463,000. The 4-week moving average was 459,000, an increase of 1,750 from the previous week's revised average of 457,250.
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
According to the Conference Board, Consumer Confidence index has reached its highest level since March 2008. The index rose 5.6 points to 63.3 in May, marking its third consecutive increase. The proportion of respondents expecting more jobs over the next six months is at its highest level since 2004.
According to the Bureau of Economic Analysis, real disposable personal income rose 0.5% in April, the largest increase since May 2009. Total personal income increased 0.4% and is up 2.5% for the year.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
DeSoto County's unemployment falls: DeSoto County's unemployment rate improved for the second straight month in April, falling to 8.4 percent and putting the county sixth statewide in terms of workers with jobs. [DeSoto Times Tribune, 5.31.10]
Lafayette County's unemployment rate dips again: In the first four months of 2010, Lafayette County’s unemployment rate has dropped from 10.3 percent in January to 8.2 percent in April, according to a new jobs report. [Oxford Eagle, 5.28.10]
Caye home furnishings closing; 600 to lose jobs: After several recent announcements that touted good news about furniture jobs, a big dose of bad news hit Tuesday. [NEMS Daily Journal, 6.1.10]
Friday, May 28, 2010
Ripley plant expansion could add 200 jobs: For the second time in a week, a Northeast Mississippi furniture manufacturer has announced expansion plans. [NEMS Daily Journal, 5.28.10]
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Around the Region: Unemployment down to 10.7%:The state Department of Employment Security says Mississippi's unemployment rate was 10.7 percent in April. [DeSoto Commercial Appeal, 5.27.10]
Local builders busier: Building may not be booming, but it’s far from a bust. [Oxford Eagle, 5.26.10]
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
CBO's Estimates of ARRA's Impact: Looking at recorded spending to date as well as estimates of the other effects of ARRA on spending and revenues, CBO has estimated the law’s impact on employment and economic output using evidence about the effects of previous similar policies on the economy and using various mathematical models that represent the workings of the economy. On that basis, CBO estimates that in the first quarter of calendar year 2010, ARRA’s policies:
- Raised the level of real (inflation-adjusted) gross domestic product (GDP) by between 1.7 percent and 4.2 percent,
- Lowered the unemployment rate by between 0.7 percentage points and 1.5 percentage points,
- Increased the number of people employed by between 1.2 million and 2.8 million, and
- Increased the number of full-time-equivalent (FTE) jobs by 1.8 million to 4.1 million compared with what those amounts would have been otherwise. (Increases in FTE jobs include shifts from part-time to full-time work or overtime and are thus generally larger than increases in the number of employed workers.)
Monday, May 24, 2010
From the National Association of Manufacturer’s: Housing starts rose a solid 5.8 percent in April, the third increase in the past four months. After falling to an all-time low in March, housing completions, which typically lag starts by close to a year, rose 19.2 percent last month, the fastest monthly pace since August 1983.
The homebuyer tax credit, which expired at the end of April, has spurred construction activity recently and will likely have some positive impact in the upcoming months. However, the fact that new permits fell to the lowest level in six months in April shows that the housing recovery is still swimming upstream, due in part to the continued high number of distressed properties on the market.
Southern Motion to add 200 jobs in Pontotoc: Although the furniture industry in Northeast Mississippi laid off about 1,000 workers last year, companies have picked up their hiring in recent months. [NEMS Daily Journal, 5.24.10]
Economists More Optimistic on Economy: Economists forecast the pace of U.S. growth to pick up in the year ahead as consumers and businesses alike accelerate spending, according to a new survey. [WCBI, 5.24.10]
Friday, May 21, 2010
Fiberglass plant adds 30 jobs in Olive Branch. Guardian Fiberglass Inc. announced Thursday it is expanding operations at its Olive Branch facility, creating 30 new jobs. [DeSoto Commercial Appeal, 5.21.10]
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Record growth among entrepeneurs in U.S. More entrepreneurs launched new businesses in 2009 than at any other time in the past 14 years, according to a study released Thursday. [The Hill, 5.20.10]
Fed expects GDP to expand, unemployment rate to fall this year. Just as a deepening debt crisis in Europe threatens the world economy, the U.S. recovery is finally starting to gain traction, leading Federal Reserve officials and private analysts to upgrade their expectations for growth. [Washington Post, 5.20.10]
Unemployment Insurance Weekly claims increase: In the week ending May 15, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims was 471,000, an increase of 25,000 from the previous week's revised figure of 446,000. The 4-week moving average was 453,500, an increase of 3,000 from the previous week's unrevised average of 450,500.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
According to the Federal Reserve, industrial production has increased a cumulative 6.8% during the past 10 months, the largest 10-month gain since 1997. Total industrial production increased 0.8% in April. Together with last month’s jobs report, this suggests a strong start to output for the second quarter. The increase, slightly above market expectations, was led by a strong 1.0% growth in manufacturing output.
Friday, May 14, 2010
Report: State has lowest credit card debt. Despite the recession, Mississippians have managed to keep their credit card debt in check — at least compared to the rest of the nation. The state had the least amount of credit card debt in April. [MS Business Journal, 5.14.10]
Thursday, May 13, 2010
State’s foreclosure rate plummets. Foreclosure actions against Mississippi homeowners fell 29 percent from March to April. [MS Business Journal, 5.13.10]
Jobless Claims Fall Slightly. The number of U.S. workers filing new claims for jobless benefits fell slightly for a fourth consecutive time last week as the labor market slowly continues to improve. [Wall Street Journal, 5.13.10]
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Tax bills in 2009 at lowest level since 1950. Amid complaints about high taxes and calls for a smaller government, Americans paid their lowest level of taxes last year since Harry Truman's presidency, a USA TODAY analysis of federal data found. [USA Today, 5.12.10]
Friday, May 7, 2010
Today we received encouraging news. The economy created 290,000 jobs last month – 231,000 of them in the private sector. This is the largest number of new jobs in four years and the fourth consecutive month of job growth.
