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Unemployment claims statewide nudge downward

Staff report COLUMBUS — Ohioans filed 4,019 initial unemployment claims Sept. 6-12, which was 295 fewer than the previous week, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday. Ohioans also filed 33,984 continued unemployment claims last week, 1,207 fewer than the previous week. The total number of claims filed for the period was 38,003. Ohio’s unemployment rate in July was 3.4%. The national unemployment rate in July was 4.1%. Ohio’s labor force participation rate in July was 61.4%. The national labor force participation rate in July was 61.4%. ODJFS ...

Chamber releases new construction, procurement guide

Staff report Finding a local contractor, supplier or service provider for a project can be found with the Youngstown/Warren Regional Chamber’s new 2026 Construction and Procurement Guide. The business-to-business resource brings local companies from across the construction and procurement industries into one guide, helping companies, developers, institutions and public agencies find local businesses for projects and other needs. The guide features more than 300 listings across nine categories: trade organizations; architects and engineers; construction supplies and materials; ...

US stocks rally to their best day in 6 weeks

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market rallied to its best day in six weeks Thursday after falling oil prices and easing pressure from the bond market helped Wall Street reverse many of its moves from the prior day. The S&P 500 jumped 1.1% for just its second rise in the last nine days. The Dow Jones Industrial Average added 316 points, or 0.6%, and the Nasdaq composite climbed 1.7%. Stocks got a boost after the price for a barrel of Brent crude oil slid 1% to settle at $104.82. That’s down from the nearly $110 it reached earlier in the week on worries that the war with Iran will ...

Procurement day aimed at Valley business owners

Staff report The Connector, an event to help business owners navigate procurement and land contracts across government, healthcare, transportation and more, will take place 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sept. 23 at the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County. YBI and the Youngstown/Warren Minority Business Assistance Center are presenting the gathering. The Connector is built around a simple idea: business owners already know how to run their operations, and procurement is the path to landing contracts with schools, cities and state organizations to do that same work at scale. The event ...

Aviation Education Center to break ground Friday

Staff report A groundbreaking ceremony for the Aviation Education Center, a celebration of the Youngstown-Warren Regional Airport improvement and community development initiatives, will take place at 2:30 p.m. Friday. The Aviation Education Center will serve as a hub for hands-on learning, workforce development, career exploration and industry engagement, according to a news release from the Western Reserve Port Authority, which oversees airport operations. Once completed, the $5.5 million facility will provide students and community members with access to innovative educational ...

Gas prices climb as crude oil rises

Staff report Gas prices are 28 cents higher in Northeast Ohio this week at $4.228 per gallon, according to AAA East Central’s Gas Price Report. The national average for a gallon of regular gasoline has gone up 16 cents over the past week to $4.31 as crude oil prices continue climbing. Volatility in the Strait of Hormuz has pushed crude oil back in the $100 per barrel range for the first time since July. Pump prices are currently comparable to early June. The national average is increasing during a season when gas prices typically go down due to lower gasoline demand. The average ...