Business

The Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget says jobless rates during June were up six- to eight-tenths of a percentage point in southwest Michigan. Employment in St. Joseph County rose by 275 people from May, but is down by 200 compared to June 2018. There were 27,575 with jobs in June, but with the labor force increasing by 425, …

May’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was half a percent higher than the previous month. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed the county’s 4.2 percent May unemployment rate marked an increase from April’s 3.7 percent. St. Joseph County’s rate was slightly greater than the state unemployment average, which was 3.9 percent …

House painters won’t need a license under a new Michigan law. The law starts Thursday. It removes painting and decorating from a list of trades covered by a state license for residential maintenance and alteration. The Senate Fiscal Agency says there were 432 Michigan contractors licensed in painting and decorating in December. They had to complete 60 hours of education …

Indiana Michigan Power has restored power to 94 percent of customers who lost service on Sunday and is working to restore the remainder. Crews have restored power to all South Bend/Elkhart area customers affected by Sunday’s high winds. In Muncie, Marion and Fort Wayne combined, fewer than 100 customers remained to be restored as of 4 p.m.  Monday.  I&M is …

The South Shore Line is offering a 10 percent discount on monthly passes during the month of March to help make up for four days of suspended service during last week’s bitter cold spell. The commuter rail line says discount pricing will automatically be applied at the time a March pass is purchased. The South Shore Line also is offering …

John Castle, Southern Michigan Bank & Trust Chairman and CEO recently announced the promotions of officers Eric Anglin and Matt Moses. Anglin was promoted to Senior Vice President, Retail Banking Services/Chief Deposit Officer. He earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing from Tiffin University, and joined the bank in 2010. He advanced to the position of First Vice President, where he …

December’s unemployment rate in St. Joseph County was unchanged compared to the figure from the previous month. The monthly labor-market analysis by the Michigan Department of Technology, Management and Budget showed the county’s unemployment rate for December was 3.9 percent again. St. Joseph County was below the state unemployment average, which was 4 percent for the month. The agency said …

NEW YORK (AP) — Sears will live on— at least for now. The company’s chairman and largest shareholder and chairman, Eddie Lampert, won a bankruptcy auction for Sears in New York, averting liquidation of the iconic chain, according to a source familiar with the negotiations. The person agreed to speak on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to …

American Airlines says closed-circuit television footage at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport shows a 67-year-old woman in a wheelchair wasn’t left alone nearly as long as her family claims. American released a timeline that shows Olimpia Warsaw was alone 1 ¼ hours after her flight was canceled late Friday — during which time Warsaw twice used a walker to go outside …

A Cracker Barrel restaurant in southwestern Michigan will not reopen after a problem with salmonella. The Kalamazoo County health department says it was told about the closing last week. The agency says private tests revealed significant contamination at the Kalamazoo-area restaurant. Results from state tests are expected this week. The restaurant had reopened after closing in June due to health-code …