The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up last week but remained at a historically low level, reflecting a robust U.S. labor market with near record-high job openings and few layoffs. Jobless claims rose by 18,000 to 185,000, the Labor Department said, after nearly touching the lowest level since 1968 in the previous week.
North Dakota’s March not seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.3 percent. The jobless rate increased 0.2 of a percentage point between February and March. Between February and March unemployment rose by 645, an increase of 5.1 percent. North Dakota typically sees a small decrease in unemployment numbers between February and March.
Minnesota gained 11,500 jobs, up 0.4% in the last month on a seasonally adjusted basis following the addition of 13,000 jobs in February 2022. Minnesota’s labor force participation rate rose from 67.9% to 68.1% and the unemployment rate ticked down two-tenths of a point to 2.5% in March from 2.7% in February 2022.
Retail sales rose modestly in March, but higher prices for food, gasoline and other basics took a big share of consumers’ wallets. Retail sales increased 0.5% after registering a revised 0.8% increase from January to February. Spending has been fueled by wage gains, solid hiring and more money in banking accounts. January’s increase of 4.9% was the biggest jump in spending since March 2021, when American households received a final federal stimulus check of $1,400.
Amazon says it will add a 5% “fuel and inflation surcharge” to fees it charges third-party sellers who use the retailer’s fulfillment services. The move comes as the e-commerce giant faces rising costs. Seattle-based Amazon says that the added fees will take effect April 28 and are subject to change.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating Lucky Charms cereal after dozens of consumers complained of illness after eating it. The FDA said Saturday it has received more than 100 complaints related to Lucky Charms so far this year. Several hundred people have also posted on a food safety website, iwaspoisoned.com, complaining of nausea, diarrhea and vomiting after eating Lucky Charms. General Mills Inc., the Minneapolis-based company that makes Lucky Charms and other cereals, said it’s taking those reports seriously. But the company said its own investigation has not found evidence of consumer illness related to Lucky Charms. (AP photo)
Delta Air Lines lost $940 million in the first quarter yet bookings surged in recent weeks, setting up a breakout summer as Americans try to put the pandemic behind them. And while revenue for the quarter was surprisingly strong, the Atlanta airline faces stiff headwinds, including a sharp rise in fuel and labor costs.
Toyota is recalling about 460,000 vehicles in the U.S. to fix a software problem that can inadvertently disable the electronic stability control system. The automaker says that when the vehicles are restarted, the software in rare cases may not automatically switch the system into the “on” mode. That can disable the system. The recall covers 2020 to 2022 models including the Toyota brand’s Venza, Mirai, RAV4 Hybrid, RAV4 Prime, Sienna Hybrid, and Highlander Hybrid.
The City of Grand Forks is poised to place four additional light pillars in the downtown at a cost of $44,000 each. The pillars would be part of the North 4th Street reconstruction project slated for this summer. A total of 18 pillars already dot stretches of DeMers and North 3rd Street. Badman Design was selected to design, fabricate and install the decorative lights.
Grand Forks will pay $210,000 to move a 16 inch water pipe that conflicts with the site plan of the Beacon project. The Beacon is a three building 7 story mixed use housing development near the downtown with a public plaza feature. City leaders says the line is 55 years old and the building’s foundation would make future repairs difficult. The developer has offered a $15,000 contribution. Final approval of the deal is expected this week.
Altru has been recertified as a HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) Stage 7 facility for both its inpatient and ambulatory care settings. It recognizes the integration of technology into healthcare; specifically, how the use of electronic medical records (EMR) leads to the development of higher quality of care.
Minnesota’s State Veterinarian and Board of Animal Health Executive Director Dr. Beth Thompson is resigning from her position effective May 8th. She accepted the state veterinarian position in her home state of South Dakota. Current Assistant Director, Dr. Linda Glaser will begin serving as Interim State Veterinarian on May 9, 2022.
MnDOT and the City of Crookston are conducting a corridor study to evaluate existing conditions and potential improvements that could be made in downtown area. The study will examine the future transportation and mobility needs of Highway 2 to create a corridor for people walking, bicycling, and driving that is safe, accessible, and convenient. An open house will be held on April 28.
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