Raffle to take place at InfroCision


November 4, 2016 at 12:00a.m.

Raffle to take place at InfroCision

BOARDMAN

InfoCision Management Corp. will have a live reverse raffle for cash prizes and a grand prize of a Chevrolet Sonic for employees Monday.

One employee will drive away in a brand new Sonic, as part of its latest companywide, employee-incentive contest.

The nine remaining finalists each will receive cash prizes ranging in amounts up to $2,500. A total of $10,000 will be given away.

The 10 finalists that will be at InfoCision’s headquarters Monday are April Blankenship from Work at Home; Alina Martin from Green, Ohio; Betsy Vanscoy from Green, Ohio; Tammy Gozur from Boardman; Katrina Clinkscale from Work at Home; Mary Schultz from Austintown; Brett Ricketts from Work at Home; Jerry Thomas from Huntington, W.Va.; Belinda Pugh from Work at Home; and Harold Baker from Clarksburg, W.Va.

InfoCision is hiring seasonal positions. Call 1-800-210-6269, or visit www.infocision.com if interested.

Average US 30-year mortgage rate rises to 3.54 percent

WASHINGTON

Long-term U.S. mortgage rates jumped this week, reaching their highest levels since late June amid indications of strength in the economy.

Mortgage giant Freddie Mac said Thursday the average for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rose to 3.54 percent from 3.47 percent last week. Rates remain near historically low levels, however. The benchmark 30-year rate is down from 3.87 percent a year ago. Its all-time low was 3.31 percent in November 2012.

The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, popular with homeowners who are refinancing, increased to 2.84 percent from 2.78 percent.

US productivity up at 3.1 percent rate

WASHINGTON

The productivity of American workers rose in the July-September quarter at the fastest pace in two years, while labor costs slowed.

Productivity increased at a 3.1 percent rate in the third quarter, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

It was a significant improvement from the previous three quarters when productivity had fallen. Unit labor costs edged up a modest 0.3 percent in the third quarter, compared with a 3.9 percent jump in the second quarter.

US claims for jobless aid up

WASHINGTON

More Americans applied for unemployment benefits last week, but jobless claims remain at levels that suggest most workers enjoy job security.

The Labor Department said Thursday that claims for unemployment aid rose by 7,000 to a seasonally adjusted 265,000, the highest since early August. Still, claims came in below 300,000 for the 87th straight week, the longest such streak since 1970 when the workforce was much smaller.

Staff/wire report

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1224.151.24

Aqua America, .71 29.56-0.23Avalon Holdings,2.44-0.10

Community Health Sys. 5.14 -0.18

Cortland Bancorp, .2815.700.00

Farmers Nat., .1610.500.45

First Energy, 1.44 33.290.29

Fifth/Third, .5221.42-0.20

FirstMerit Corp.,21.610.37

First Niles Financial, .1210.000.00

FNB Corp., .4812.900.05

General Motors, 1.5231.07-0.38

General Electric, .9228.28-0.21

Huntington Bank, .28 10.25-0.08

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.300.05

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9268.38-0.30

Key Corp, .3413.960.01

LaFarge, .34-0.00

Macy’s, 1.51 36.890.00

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 119.29-0.59

PNC, 2.2094.900.13

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60179.33-0.35

Stoneridge 14.510.09

Talmer Bank, 23.34-0.36

United Comm. Fin., .12 7.230.05

Selected prices from Thursday’s 4 p.m. close.