BUSINESS DIGEST ||

Job-growth bills

COLUMBUS

State Sen. Joe Schiavoni of Boardman, D-33rd, recently announced a comprehensive plan to increase job growth and employment through targeted investments.

The legislative package is the latest in a series of bills the senator has introduced to improve Ohio’s small-business climate and bolster job growth. He is a 2018 Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate.

Here are the key parts of the job-growth bill: train skilled workers and create pathways to employment, rebuild the state, help veterans find good-paying jobs, help minority businesses expand and grow and help small businesses grow and thrive.

US home prices surge in June

WASHINGTON

U.S. home prices climbed higher in June with gains that are eclipsing income growth.

This creates affordability pressures for would-be buyers. The Standard & Poor’s CoreLogic Case-Shiller 20-city home price index rose 5.7 percent in June.

The separate national average rose as well, putting it 4.3 points above its housing bubble-era peak in July 2006.

VW recalls 281K cars

DETROIT

Volkswagen is recalling almost 281,000 CC and Passat sedans and wagons in the U.S. because the fuel pumps can fail and cause the cars to suddenly stall.

The recall covers the CC from the 2009 through 2016 model years, as well as the Passat sedan and wagon from 2006 through 2010. All have four-cylinder gasoline engines.

VW says in government documents that the fuel- pump control computer can lose electrical power. That can stop gas from flowing and cause the engine to stop. That problem also can make the fuel pump continue running after the car is shut off.

VW will notify owners about the problem in October and send a second letter when replacement computers are available.

Tech and industrial lead stocks back from losses

NEW YORK

North Korea’s latest missile launch jolted the U.S. stock market Tuesday, but major indexes pulled back from those early losses and mostly finished higher as the weakening dollar gave technology and industrial companies a boost.

Investors bought bonds, which are traditionally considered safe assets, after North Korea fired a midrange ballistic missile that crossed over northern Japan and fell into the Pacific Ocean.

Energy and insurance companies continued to feel the effects of Tropical Storm Harvey, which is dumping record amounts of rain on the Gulf Coast.

Staff/wire reports

Selected local stocks

STOCK, DIVIDENDCLOSECHANGE

Alcoa Inc., .1242.970.80

Aqua America, .71 33.68-0.19

Avalon Holdings,2.000.08

Chemical Bank, .2745.27-0.69Community Health Sys. 7.45 -0.35

Cortland Bancorp, .2817.750.00

Farmers Nat., .1613.25-0.10

First Energy, 1.44 32.65-0.15

Fifth/Third, .5226.26-0.32

FirstMerit Corp.,--

First Niles Financial, .1210.520.00

FNB Corp., .4812.74-0.11

General Motors, 1.5235.510.00

General Electric, .9224.44-0.02

Huntington Bank, .28 12.59-0.13

iHeartMedia Inc.,1.370.00

JP Morgan Chase, 1.9291.04-0.56

Key Corp, .3417.25-0.14

LaFarge, .34--

Macy’s, 1.51 20.93-0.22

Parker Hannifin, 2.52 159.260.85

PNC, 2.20126.24-1.31

Simon Prop. Grp., 6.60156.39-0.45

Stoneridge 16.28-0.04

United Comm. Fin., .12 9.01-0.09

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