Unemployment rate up slightly in Ohio

May 23, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

COLUMBUS

Ohio’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 5.2 percent in April, compared with 5.1 percent in March.

Ohio’s nonfarm wage and salary employment increased 6,400 over the month, from a revised 5,388,600 in March to 5,395,000 in April, according to data released Friday from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in April was 297,000, up 3,000 from 294,000 in March.

The April unemployment rate for Ohio was down from 5.9 percent in April 2014.

Shredding event

YOUNGSTOWN

The Better Business Bureau will offer free document shredding and identity-theft prevention tips at Covelli Centre, 229 E. Front St., from 9 a.m. to noon June 6.

Businesses and consumers are encouraged to attend the event and are invited to bring up to three standard-size boxes or bags of documents to be shredded. Documents should be removed from binders, but staples and paper clips are acceptable.

BBB staff also will be on-site to provide advice and tips for identity-theft protection. For information, call 330-744-3111.

Energy consumption

WASHINGTON

The U.S. Energy Information Administration reported the nation’s transportation sector accounted for 24 percent of total primary energy consumption in February.

Total energy consumption in the sector equaled 2 quadrillion Btu, which was virtually unchanged from February 2014. Petroleum accounted for 90 percent of the transportation sector total energy consumption; natural gas accounted for 5 percent of sector consumption; biomass consumption also accounted for 5 percent. Electricity retail sales and electrical system energy losses accounted for less than 1 percent.

Adult dating site investigating breach of user data

PALO ALTO, Calif.

The operator of a popular adult dating website said Friday it’s investigating a data security breach after reports that hackers stole names, email addresses and information about the sexual orientation or habits of up to 4 million members.

Britain’s Channel 4 news outlet reported that hackers posted some of the information on an obscure website after stealing account data from AdultFriendFinder.com. The online service claims 64 million members worldwide use its service to “hook up, find sex or meet someone hot now.”

FriendFinder Networks, the Silicon Valley company that operates the service, said in a statement that it hired a prominent cyber-security firm to investigate and is telling members to update their user names and passwords.

Tech blogger Bev Robb reported earlier that it was possible to identify some users and glean potentially embarrassing information based on apparently stolen data that was posted on a website frequented by other hackers.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Aqua America, .61, 26.58 —.17

Avalon Holdings,2.91.03

Clear Channel, .46 22.46 —.22

Cortland Bancorp, 15.45.00

Farmers Nat., .128.14 .02

First Energy, 1.44, 36.01.09

Fifth/Third, .5220.51.05

FirstMerit Corp., .64,19.86 —.17

First Niles Financial, .32,8.50.00

FNB Corp., .48,13.52—.10

General Motors, 1.2035.71.13

General Electric, .88,27.68—.04

Huntington Bank, .20, 11.26—.08

JP Morgan Chase, 1.60,66.47—.18

Key Corp, .26,14.90—.02

LaFarge, 17.86 —.36

Macy’s, 1.25, 68.11.45

Parker Hannifin, 1.92, 124.76—.39

PNC, 1.92,95.22.26

RTI Intl. Metals,36.57—.16

Simon Prop. Grp.,5.20,183.62.08

Stoneridge 12.01 —.24

Talmer Bank, 15.75—.13

United Comm. Fin., .04 5.50—.01

Selected prices at 4 p.m. Friday. Provided by Stifel. Not to be construed as an offer or recommendation to buy or sell any security.