BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Manufacturing update

COLUMBUS

The Ohio Manufacturers’ Association recently announced updates on manufacturing’s impact in Ohio.

Manufacturing is the largest of the 20 sectors of Ohio’s economy; the industry contributes 17 percent of Ohio’s gross domestic product; Ohio’s manufacturing sector GDP of $99 billion ranks it fourth in the nation; manufacturing provides 700,000 jobs in Ohio; more than 1 in 10 Ohioans works in manufacturing; the industry has an annual payroll of $39 billion, the highest total annual wages of any Ohio industry sector; and an Ohio worker in manufacturing makes $57,000 annually.

Oil, gas employment

WASHINGTON, D.C.

The U.S. Energy Information Administration announced that since October 2014, oil and natural-gas production employment has declined by 26 percent, a loss of more than 142,000 jobs through May 2016, based on the latest jobs data available. The total decrease in production jobs is nearly three times the 51,000 jobs lost over a 13-month period during the 2008-09 recession.

In October 2014, employment in oil and natural gas reached a high of 538,000 jobs.

Allegiant traffic results

LAS VEGAS

Allegiant Travel Co., recently reported preliminary passenger traffic results for 2016. The Las Vegas-based airline offers four destinations at the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport.

The total number of passengers increased 18.8 percent year-over-year to 1.24 million. Flights were 89.6 percent filled compared with 90.4 percent reported last July. Departures increased by 19.8 percent.

Gas prices fall in US

CAMARILLO, Calif.

The average price of gasoline in the U.S. has dropped six cents over the past two weeks to $2.16 a gallon for regular grade, industry analyst Trilby Lundberg said Sunday.

A drop in crude oil prices has driven a nine-week decline in costs at the pump, but those prices have strengthened in the past week and retail price drops are likely to be smaller or cease, Lundberg said.

The Lundberg Survey found the average price of midgrade unleaded was $2.46 a gallon, and premium was $2.67.

IS claims machete attack in Belgium

BRUSSELS

The Islamic State group Sunday claimed responsibility for a weekend machete attack that wounded two policewomen in the Belgian city of Charleroi, calling it an act of reprisal carried out by one of its “soldiers.”

Belgian prosecutors identified the machete-wielding assailant as a 33-year-old Algerian known to police for criminal offenses, but not for extremist acts. Belgian media reported that he was in the country illegally, despite two separate orders being issued for him to leave. The government didn’t immediately confirm the reports.

Thai voters approve new constitution

BANGKOK

Thai voters Sunday overwhelmingly approved a new junta-backed constitution that lays the foundation for a civilian government influenced by the military and controlled by appointed – rather than elected – officials.

Although near-final results showed that more than 60 percent of voters in a referendum called by the military government approved of the constitution, the vote is likely to be met by some skepticism. The junta – led by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a retired army general who has severely curtailed dissent since coming to power in a 2014 coup – imposed severe restrictions on public discussion of the proposed constitution.

Staff/wire reports