May 14
Liberty Hospital lays off some employees
It says the staff cuts are needed to improve efficiency in advance of 2014 health care reform mandates.
May 10
How to be an “A” job candidate
Employers want workers with good communication and teamwork skills as much as they want technical expertise.
May 10
New mothers with college education hits record levels
Two of every three new mothers had at least some college education in 2011, according to the study released Friday by the Pew Research Center. The rate has almost quadrupled since 1960, when only 18 percent of new mothers had college experience.
May 10
Online job fair at Oak Park Mall
Job seekers can check out the mall’s website from May 13-26 and find the list of stores that are hiring
May 9
Job fair in Overland Park to attract about 60 companies, 300 openings
The Kansas City Spring Career Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Overland Park Convention Center, 6000 College Blvd. Admission and parking is free.
May 9
US jobless aid applications fall to 5-year low
The number of Americans who applied for unemployment benefits fell by 4,000 last week to a seasonally adjusted 323,000, a five-year low. Layoffs have returned to pre-recession levels, a trend that could lead to more hiring.
May 7
US job postings fell in March; hiring slowed
U.S. employers posted fewer job openings in March compared with February and slowed overall hiring, underscoring a weak month of job growth.
May 3
Strong jobs report buoys stock market
Traders reacted positively to news that U.S. employers created more jobs than expected in April and more than were previously reported in February and March.
May 3
Add value through action, not opining
Complaining or resisting change will only detract from your value in your workplace.
May 1
Dollar General to hold May 18 job fair in Independence
The company will hold a job fair on May 18 at 170 locations in the 40 states it serves, including two stores in the Kansas City area.
May 2
Ford is hiring more workers for its Claycomo plant
Automaker decides to add a third shift of F-150 production because of an improving economy and surging sales of the pickup trucks.
May 2
Ford will add 900 jobs at its Claycomo plant
To meet surging demand for its best-selling F-150 pickup trucks, Ford Motor Co. plans to add 900 jobs and a third shift at its Claycomo plant. The company confirmed in a statement that the new jobs will be announced at a 10:30 a.m. event at the plant with Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of the Americas, and Gov. Jay Nixon in attendance.
May 1
Area jobless rate was 6.6 percent in March
Kansas City area employers added a net 1,800 jobs from March 2012 to March 2013, a 0.2 percent increase. The drop in joblessness from 7.1 percent a year earlier was partly due to about 8,000 workers leaving the local labor force and no longer being counted as working or looking for work.
May 1
Regional survey shows a dip in economic growth
The Mid-America Business Conditions index dropped to 56.8 in April from 58.2 in March, according to a report released by Creighton University in Omaha. But the survey noted that the economy in the region should continue to grow over the next three to six months. The employment component of the survey rose to 60.7 in April from March’s 56.3, the third consecutive month for growth.
April 30
KC Chamber of Commerce honors four area business managers with diversity awards
The four will receive the Chamber’s Ace Award Tuesday afternoon, which recognizes managers for “outstanding achievement in their industries, inspiring and mentoring others and making exceptional contributions to the success of their employers.”
April 30
Wage costs are mostly flat for employers
The cost to employers of employee pay and benefits grew 0.3 percent in the first quarter this year to stand 1.8 percent higher than a year earlier. The government’s employment cost index, published Tuesday, said employers’ costs for civilian wages and salaries rose 1.6 percent over the 12 months ending in March 2013.
April 29
Kansas City area job fairs expect big turnouts
Large job fairs, one in Olathe and one in Kansas City north of the Missouri River, expect big turnouts.
April 28
KC civil rights pioneer Inez Kaiser honored on her 95th birthday
Inez Kaiser, a longtime figure in the Kansas City civil rights scene who helped women and minorities stake new ground in business, was feted at a party Sunday celebrating her 95th birthday.
April 26
Work status of U.S. families improved slightly in 2012
Among the nation’s 80.1 million families, the number with at least one unemployed person dropped to 8.4 million, compared with 9 million a year earlier. That was a decline to 10.5 percent of all families, down from 11.5 percent.
May 1
Summer job odds improve
The seasonal job market remains competitive, but a survey of hirers indicates that there may be more openings this summer than the previous five years.
