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Ohio’s unemployment rate falls to 3.3% in August

Ohio’s unemployment rate was 3.3% in August 2026, down from 3.4% in July 2026. Ohio’s nonagricultural wage and salary employment increased 2,100 over the month from a revised 5,686,600 in July to 5,688,700 in August. The Ohio Department of Job and Family Services issued its findings last week. Figures have been seasonally adjusted. The number of workers unemployed in Ohio in August was 195,000, down from 200,000 in July 2026. The number of unemployed has decreased by 66,000 in the past 12 months from 261,000. The August unemployment rate for Ohio decreased 1.1 percentage points ...

Operator of 314 Wendy’s locations in the US files for bankruptcy protection

One of the largest U.S. franchisees for Wendy's has filed for bankruptcy protection after the restaurant chain tried to terminate its franchise agreement. Meritage Hospitality Group, which operates 314 Wendy’s restaurants in 15 states, said in a statement last week it intends to keep operating its restaurants and paying its 9,000 employees during the bankruptcy process. Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Meritage filed its bankruptcy petition in federal court in western Michigan on Sept. 17. According to court documents, Wendy’s filed a notice of termination of the company’s ...

Gas prices keep climbing as crude oil remains high

Gas prices are 33 cents higher in Northeast Ohio this week at $4.555 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report released Monday. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline is up 16 cents from last week at $4.47 and more than one dollar higher than it was a year ago. In Northeast Ohio, the average a year ago was $3.077. Crude oil remains high, averaging $100 per barrel amid continued volatility in the Strait of Hormuz. Gas prices are back to what they were earlier this year during the spring, and the national average is inching closer to this year’s ...

New warnings about the risks of AI to humanity revive a long-running debate

LOS ANGELES (AP) — New warnings from within the artificial intelligence industry have revived a long-running debate over whether advanced AI could escape human control and ultimately threaten humanity’s survival, and whether the companies developing the technology are doing enough to ...

Valley glass company bolsters presence

A specialty glass company headquartered in a former Warren bowling alley is building on its international presence. A combination of factors — a one-of-a-kind industrial glass coating, additional equipment and a new building — are spotlighting the efforts of MacPherson Industries Inc. and MacPherson Engineering. On Monday, the Ohio Department of Development state announced the release of $250,000 as part of the agency’s Regional 166 Direct Loan Program. The low-interest loan effort targets development, job creation and job retention by giving businesses with limited access to ...

Tressel Institute expands into year-round experience

The rising high school juniors and seniors from the 16 school districts across the Mahoning Valley and surrounding region gathered July 16-18 for the second annual Summer Leadership Institute, hosted by the Tressel Institute for Leadership and Teamwork at YSU. The free, three-day program gave students the opportunity to explore leadership through hands-on workshops, group challenges, campus experiences and community engagement. Students examined servant leadership, personal values, communication, teamwork, goal-setting, defining success and learning how to “fail forward.” They ...