Residential electric bills will drop by about 3 cents a month, after a ruling by the Michigan Public Service Commission Thursday. The MPSC authorized Consumers Energy to implement electric rates $5 million lower than were previously authorized to in an order from November. The Jackson-based utility has to implement the new rate as of Friday. The commission looked into the... Full story »

Today President Obama signed the new $18 billion jobs bill designed to spur hiring by giving tax breaks to small businesses. "The solution to our economic problems will not come from government alone.  Government can’t create all the jobs we need or can it repair all the damage that’s been done by this recession," the president said in prepared... Full story »

Lengthened availability of jobless benefits has raised the unemployment rate by 1.5 percentage points and has increased the average duration of unemployment spells by over a month, according to a report put out yesterday by JPMorgan Chase Bank. The report claims that jobless benefits have the potential to increase the unemployment rate by softening the blow of losing a... Full story »

Initial jobless claims fell by 5,000 to a seasonably adjusted 457,000 for the week ending March 13, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Labor. The four-week moving average for initial claims, a less volatile number, also dropped by 4,250 to 471,250. The number of those continuing to apply for unemployment insurance edged higher for the week... Full story »

An acquisition of a parts supplier in Oklahoma by Melling Tool will make the local company more competitive going forward, company President Mark Melling said. “I’m excited,” Melling said. “It will strengthen the company in the long run.” Melling Tool Co., 2620 Saradan Drive, closed on the deal last week to purchase Rush Metals, located in Billings, Okla., which had... Full story »

U.S. Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner expects some improvements in the job market this spring, but unemployment will remain high throughout 2010, he said in testimony to Congress yesterday. In his joint statement with other Obama administration economists to the House Appropriations Committee, Geithner forecast average job growth of about 100,000 per month in 2010, about 200,000 per month in... Full story »

SLAUGHTER CATTLE 171 head (sold at 4:15 p.m.) Choice steers & heifers    85.50 to 94.00 Good steers & heifers    80.00 to 85.00 Choice Holsteins    81.00 to 86.00 Good Holsteins    67.00 to 79.00 Utility cows    50.00 to 63.00 Canner cows    34.00 to 48.00 Butcher bulls    to 63.00 FEEDER CATTLE 17 head (sold at 2:30 p.m.) 200-400 lb. hol strs    to 62.50... Full story »

A Michigan Center company that made its mark in the automotive industry is venturing further into the solar panel market — and with the help of a lucrative state tax credit, may add 212 jobs in the next five years. Full story »

Michigan Gov. Jennifer M. Granholm today announced that the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC) is helping 11 companies grow in Michigan. The projects are expected to create 7,182 new jobs. Full story »

Economist Paul Krugman estimates that currency manipulation by the Chinese has displaced as many as 3 million U.S. jobs. The comments came at the Economic Policy Institute's panel "Currency Manipulation: How Should the U.S. Respond?" last week. The value of China's currency has remained artificially low and as result, the low prices of the goods it sells on the... Full story »

U.S. House of Representatives Ways and Means Committee Chairman Sander M. Levin (D-Mich.) yesterday unveiled draft legislation, which would provide tax relief to small businesses and extend effective financing measures to create jobs. Full story »

Today the Federal Communications Commission released to Congress its national broadband plan that would provide every American access to broadband service. Thousands of jobs would be created to make that access to broadband a reality, according to former FCC chairman Reed Hundt. Hundt wrote an editorial today saying that the plan should be considered a jobs bill. The broadband... Full story »

When Adam Johnson was having a difficult time finding a teaching job, he decided to take advantage of his business degree by starting his own business. Adam Johnson Agency started in 2006 as a representative of Farm Bureau Insurance. After undergoing three years of training, Johnson became an independent agent in October. He runs his business out of Farm Bureau... Full story »

Brothers Kyle and Todd Holton credit their father Roy for instilling strong Christian values in them as children. Now at ages 43 and 48, respectively, they believe that strong faith has helped their family-owned business thrive. "Without that, we might have been another lumberyard by the wayside," said Todd Holton, vice president of Spring Arbor Lumber & Home Center.... Full story »