Area jobless rate rises to 6.9 percent

According to preliminary data released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the area’s January 2013 jobless rate compared with a rate of 7.1 percent in January 2012.

Mid-America Labor/Management Conference to be held July 14-17

Lafe Solomon, acting general counsel of the National Labor Relations Board, will appear at the event at the Lodge of the Four Seasons in Lake Ozark, Mo. The conference also will feature a live session of oral arguments before a Missouri Court of Appeals panel on labor-related issues.

Minimum wage bill being introduced

U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, and Rep. George Miller, a California Democrat, are sponsoring legislation to gradually raise the federal wage floor to $10.10 an hour from the current $7.25.