WASHINGTON — U.S. employers added just 88,000 jobs in March, the fewest in nine months and a sharp retreat after a period of strong hiring. The slowdown may signal that the economy is heading into a weak spring. The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate dipped to 7.6 percent, the lowest in four […]
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Posted inMaine, sj-web
Gas company holding job fair in Maine
AUGUSTA (AP) — A company involved in a natural gas distribution project in central Maine plans a job fair in Augusta to fill 45 positions. Summit Natural Gas of Maine will hold the job fair on Wednesday at the Senator Inn in Augusta. The company’s looking to fill positions for permanent non-construction jobs at the […]
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Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Job gains cut unemployment to 7.7 pct., 4-year low
WASHINGTON — The American job market isn’t just growing. It’s accelerating. Employers added 236,000 jobs in February and drove down the unemployment rate to 7.7 percent, its lowest level in more than four years. The gains signal that companies are confident enough in the economy to intensify hiring even in the face of tax increases […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Report: Jobs with livable wages increasingly scarce in Maine
AUGUSTA — The gap between wages paid in Maine and what it costs to live here is widening to catastrophic levels, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Maine People’s Alliance. While both sides of the political spectrum agree a problem exists, there is little agreement about solutions. To afford necessities such as […]
Posted inBusiness, Maine, sj-web
Marden’s lays off about 3% of workforce
WATERVILLE — Not even Marden’s, Maine’s well-known surplus and salvage store chain, is immune to seasonal economic swings. Approximately 3 percent of Marden’s total workforce has been laid off since January, but that’s not unusual for this time of year, according to Craig Burgess, Marden’s general manager. “It’s an annual thing, actually,” said Burgess on […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, Maine, Oxford Hills, sj-web
Oxford Casino recruiting table game operators
OXFORD — Western Maine’s Oxford Casino is looking for people interested in becoming blackjack dealers and running roulette, craps and other casino table games. The casino is holding a recruitment event at Lewiston’s Career Center from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Tuesday in hopes of getting a large number of applicants interested in becoming card […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Home Depot to add hundreds of jobs at Maine stores
A news statement distributed Wednesday by Home Depot stated up to 450 seasonal jobs would be available in the chain’s 11 Maine stores. Applicants will be matched with jobs based on their prior retail, home improvement and military experience, according to the release. Home Depot has stores in Auburn, Augusta, Bangor, Biddeford, Ellsworth, Portland, Rockland, […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Patten man creates database to match veterans with jobs
PATTEN— John Birmingham is a man who saw a need and is working hard to fill it. Founder and president of Warriors in the Workplace, Birmingham is dedicated to matching military veterans with employment opportunities through his national database. According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics cited by Birmingham, more than 1 million service members […]
Posted inBusiness, sj-web
Maine jobs panel moves into gear
AUGUSTA — Maine business leaders and legislative leaders have formally launched a special, bipartisan committee that will look for ways to fill a “skills gap” and improve the state’s economy. Maine State Chamber of Commerce President Dana Connors joined Senate President Justin Alfond of Portland and House Speaker Mark Eves of North Berwick for Wednesday’s […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine’s unemployment rate inches up
AUGUSTA (AP) — Maine Labor Commissioner Jeanne Paquette says December’s unemployment rate in the state was 7.3 percent, up slightly from November’s 7.2 percent. Using figures from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Paquette says 51,400 Mainers were unemployed in December, up 1,600 over the year. By comparison, the U.S. unemployment rate was estimated at […]