Registration for SBA training program

Registration for SBA training program

YOUNGSTOWN

Registration is open for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Emerging Leaders executive-level training program.

The seven-month course, starting April 22, helps established urban small businesses to grow through in-class, CEO mentoring groups, coursework and networking. The program requires a commitment of 100 hours.

Interested Mahoning Valley firms can contact Tom Sangrik at 216-522-4198. Registration is available online at www.interise.org/SBAEmergingLeaders.

America Makes adds new members

YOUNGSTOWN

America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute, added one full member and two supporting members this week.

MAYA Design, a Pittsburgh-based technology design and information lab, joined America Makes as full member.

General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems of St. Petersburg, Fla., and University of Dayton Research Institute both became supporting members.

Homes for Kids sets ribbon-cutting

BOARDMAN

The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber will join Danette Palmer, coordinator of marketing and development for Homes For Kids/Child and Family Solutions, for a 3:30 p.m. ribbon-cutting Tuesday at 4822 Market St., Suite 300.

The agency will mark the opening of its second location with an open house from 3 to 5 p.m.

Homes for Kids provides treatment foster-care services to about 50 children each year in the Mahoning Valley.

Some optimism in weak jobs report

WASHINGTON

A second-straight month of weak job growth renewed concerns Friday that the vigor displayed by the American economy late last year may be gone, at least for the moment.

The Labor Department’s monthly employment report showed a tepid gain of 113,000 jobs in January after December’s puny increase of 75,000 — far below last year’s average monthly gain of 194,000.

Yet the report provided some cause for optimism. Solid hiring last month in manufacturing and construction point to underlying strength.

And in a healthy sign, more Americans began looking for jobs, suggesting they were more hopeful about their prospects. A sizable 115,000 formerly unemployed people also said they found jobs. Their hiring reduced the unemployment rate to a seasonally adjusted 6.6 percent, the lowest in more than five years.

Most economists say they think hiring will strengthen during 2014 as the economy improves further.

Janet Yellen will be pressed about jobs and the economy when she testifies to Congress next week in her first public comments since becoming Federal Reserve chairwoman Monday.

Vindicator staff/wire reports