Friday, August 21, 2015
Jobless claims
The number of Americans seeking unemployment aid rose slightly last week, yet remained at a low level consistent with a solid job market.
The Labor Department said Thursday that weekly unemployment applications climbed 4,000 to a seasonally adjusted 277,000. The four-week average, a less- volatile measure, increased 5,500 to 271,500.
In Ohio, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services had 6,189 initial claims during the week ending Aug. 15 and 58,075 continued claims.
In Mahoning County, there were 159 initial claims made during the week ending Aug. 15 and 1,488 continued claims.
In Columbiana County, 57 initial claims were made as well as 615 continued claims.
In Trumbull County, there were 146 initial claims made and 1,295 continued claims.
Once Upon A Child
NILES
The Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber will have a celebratory ribbon-cutting for the new Once Upon A Child store at 555 Youngstown-Warren Road, Unit 12, next to Office Max in Burlington Plaza at 9 a.m. today .
Once Upon A Child is a business that specializes in the resale of gently used baby items. The store will have an extended celebration Saturday with refreshments and costumed characters.
First Niles dividend
NILES
First Niles Financial Inc., the parent company of Home Federal Savings and Loan Association, announced a cash dividend of $.05 per share on common stock or $.06 per share on preferred class A stock for the third quarter of 2015.
The dividend will be payable Sept. 18 to shareholders of record Sept. 4.
Las Vegas plan OK’d
WYOMISSING, PA.
Penn National Gaming Inc., the company that operates Hollywood Gaming at Mahoning Valley Race Course in Austintown, announced Thursday it received approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission to complete the company’s planned $360 million acquisition of Tropicana Las Vegas.
The NGC’s approval represents the final step in the regulatory process to finance and acquire the property after earlier approvals in several other jurisdictions where the company operates. Penn National plans to complete the purchase of Tropicana Las Vegas on Tuesday.
Home buying up
WASHINGTON
Americans stepped up their home buying for a third-straight month in July, as sales accelerated to the strongest pace in eight years.
The National Association of Realtors said Thursday that sales of homes rose 2 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.59 million, the fastest rate since February 2007. Sales have jumped 9.6 percent over the past 12 months, while the number of listings has declined 4.7 percent.
Steady job growth and relatively low mortgage rates have persuaded current homeowners to purchase homes, while first-time buyers remain scarce. The housing market contains a mere 4.8 months’ supply of homes, meaning that prices are rising for an increasingly narrow set of properties.
Staff/wire reports