Breaking News

Business

Business at a glance

Initial unemployment claims rise in state Ohioans filed 5,463 initial unemployment claims for the week of Oct. 19-Oct. 25, the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services reported Thursday. The claims were 936 more than the previous week. Ohioans filed 40,392 continued unemployment claims last week, which was 309 fewer than the previous week. The total number of claims filed from Oct. 19-Oct. 25 was 45,855. Ohio’s unemployment rate in August was 5%. The national unemployment rate in August was 4.3%. Ohio’s labor force participation rate in August was 62.5%. The national labor ...

High coffee prices produce bitter aftertaste

It’s getting more expensive for Americans to get their caffeine fix. The average U.S. price of a pound of ground coffee hit $9.14 in September, a 3% increase from the August average of $8.87 and 41% higher than in September 2024, according to U.S. government figures. Coffee prices have been increasing sharply since the start of this year. Consumer prices for food purchased for home use and away from home were up 3% in September compared to the same month a year earlier, the U.S. Labor Department reported last week. The consumer price index, which measures a broader sample of all ...

Time for a gut check

NEW YORK — Almost everything in your 401(k) should be coming up a winner now. That makes it time for a gut check. Not only is the U.S. stock market setting records, so are foreign stocks. Bond funds, which are supposed to be the boring and safe part of any portfolio, are also doing well this year, along with gold and cryptocurrencies. But in the midst of all the fun, it can pay to remember how you felt during April. That’s when financial markets were tumbling because of worldwide tariffs that President Donald Trump announced on his “Liberation Day.” Did all that fear push ...

Business briefs

ON BOARD: Ely Vuksanovich, a junior at Youngstown State University, has joined Trumbull Foundry and Alloy as a mechanical engineering technology intern, where she is already contributing to key manufacturing projects and hands-on process improvements. Born and raised in the Youngstown area, Vuksanovich is pursuing her associate and bachelor’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering Technology at YSU. Her interest in engineering was sparked early, shaped by a family culture of building, repairing, and problem-solving. “My family is full of DIYers and engineers in almost all areas of ...

New BMW X3 slightly bests Mercedes-Benz GLC

Compact luxury crossovers are ideal if you’re seeking a compelling blend of utility and style without having to pay full-size luxury SUV pricing. The BMW X3 has been a front-runner since the original model’s introduction in 2003, but it continues to face stiff competition from the Mercedes-Benz GLC. BMW recently introduced a fully redesigned X3 for 2025, but is it enough to keep the Bavarian machine ahead of its longtime rival? Edmunds’ experts compared the two upscale sport-utility vehicles to find out. Engines and fuel economy The 2025 BMW X3 is available in two trims, the ...

US stocks sink as Wall Street sees both good and bad in tech profits, US-China relations

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S. stock market sank from its record heights Thursday, as Wall Street sifted through mixed developments on everything from the U.S.-China trade war to profits for Big Tech behemoths. The S&P 500 fell 1% and pulled further from its all-time high set on Tuesday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average slipped 109 points, or 0.2%, and the Nasdaq composite dropped 1.6% from its record set the day before. Stock markets elsewhere in the world were mixed, coming off a highly anticipated meeting between the leaders of the world’s two largest economies. U.S. President ...