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Job openings flat at 2.9 million in June

U.S. job openings were flat in June while the number of new hires slipped, according to a government report on Wednesday that underscored the persistent weakness in the labor market.

The Labor Department said there were 2.9 million job openings in June, almost identical to May’s tally. Get the full story »

More experienced workers applying for internships

The good news on internships this fall is 27 percent of companies plan to hire interns to help them get through the rest of 2010. The bad news, at least for entry level workers, is 23 percent of companies say they’re seeing more applications for those jobs from experienced workers with more than a decade or experience and mature workers over the age of 50. Get the full story »

State bans employer credit checks in hiring

Illinois employers will no longer be able to run credit checks on those applying for jobs under a measure Gov. Pat Quinn signed into law today. Supporters say the move is aimed at preventing employers from turning away job seekers due to poor credit amid an economic crisis that has left many unemployed and struggling to pay the bills.

Bob Evans Farms to close Illinois plant

Bob Evans Farms Inc. says it will immediately close a food production plant in the west-central Illinois city of Galva.

The Columbus, Ohio-company on Monday said the reasons were excess capacity and diminishing live sow market supply. The company says the closure affects about 70 employees. But some of those employees could have the chance to transfer jobs within Bob Evans Farms Inc. Get the full story »

Fed rate increase seen later in 2011

U.S. short-term interest rate futures traders deferred expectations of a first Federal Reserve rate increase, after a government report showed payrolls fell more than expected in July. Get the full story »

July payrolls fall, jobless rate holds at 9.5%

The employment picture in the U.S. remained bleak last month as the nation’s payrolls fell for a second straight month, with private-sector businesses adding a disappointingly scant number of new jobs. The jobless rate held steady at 9.5 percent in July, the government said Friday. Get the full story »

Poll: Small business makes small move on adding jobs

U.S. small businesses inched closer to adding jobs in July, a survey showed Thursday, offering a faint glimmer of hope for the long-suffering labor market a day before government employment data is released.

The National Federation of Independent Business’s monthly employment poll showed that 10 percent of small businesses added jobs last month, up from 5 percent in June, while 15 percent cut. The rest made no change to their labor force. Get the full story »

AT&T, EEOC talking settlement in age-bias case

AT&T Inc. is in talks to settle a lawsuit by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission that charges  the largest U.S. phone company of discriminating nationwide against workers older than 40.

According to a joint filing by AT&T and the EEOC in Manhattan federal court, the EEOC has proposed a settlement of the nearly year-old lawsuit, and both sides held “substantive settlement discussions” in a June 30 mediation session. Another session is set for Aug. 10. Get the full story »

At Ford plant, Obama says his plan saved industry

President Barack Obama today told workers at a South Side Ford plant that his bailout push helped save an “industry on the brink.” More » Get the full story »

Harley-Davidson threatens to leave Wisconsin

(Zbigniew Bzdak/Chicago Tribune)

It’s the roar that made Milwaukee famous — the distinctive throaty rumble of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But that much-loved racket could be rumbling away to another state if the company cannot bring down its labor costs.

Harley-Davidson warned employees in April that it will move its Wisconsin manufacturing operations elsewhere if it cannot cut millions of dollars at the factories that build the bikes known as “Milwaukee Iron.” Get the full story »

Daley emphasizes job growth in annual speech

Mayor Richard Daley sounded like a politician who’s going to run for re-election as he delivered his annual State of the City speech, said several aldermen who heard it today. Throughout the 40-minute talk, Daley touched on future improvements he thinks are important for Chicago’s success in areas of job growth and education.

Jobs bill clears hurdle in the Senate

President Barack Obama and his Democratic allies in the Senate earned a long-sought win Wednesday as a $26 billion measure to help states and local school boards with their severe budget problems cleared a GOP filibuster.

The bill advanced by a 61-38 tally that ensures the measure will pass the Senate on Wednesday or Thursday. It would then return to the House for a final vote that would deliver it to Obama for his signature.

Employers switch from furloughs to pay cuts

More government agencies and companies are cutting wages or pushing employees to work more for less to avoid layoffs. It’s a departure from furloughs that were common earlier in the recession and may be a sign the economy could be flirting with deflation. Get the full story >>

Caterpillar to open engineering office in S.D.

Caterpillar Inc. plans to open an engineering office in South Dakota that is expected to employ up to 100 people in five years, the construction equipment company said Tuesday. Get the full story »

Navistar could lay off 370 in Ohio

Navistar International filed a WARN notice anticipating mass layoffs in Springfield, Ohio as its master contract with the United Auto Workers is set to expire. The WARN notice filed Monday, Aug. 2, with Ohio Department of Job and Family Services states up to 370 workers may be laid off on or about Oct. 4.