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Jobless claims fall to 751,000, but new infections a threat

WASHINGTON — The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell last week to 751,000, the lowest since March, but it’s still historically high and indicates the viral pandemic is forcing many employers to cut jobs. Applications for unemployment aid fell 40,000 from the previous week, the Labor Department said Thursday. They fell in 30 states, including big drops in California, Florida and Texas. Claims rose significantly in Arizona, Illinois, and Michigan. Rising confirmed virus cases in nearly every state, along with a cutoff in federal aid, are threatening to weaken ...

Netflix raising U.S. streaming prices amid booming growth

SAN RAMON, Calif. — Netflix is raising most of its U.S. prices by 8% to 13% as its video streaming service rides a wave of rising popularity spurred by government-imposed lockdowns that corralled people at home during the fight against the pandemic. The increases imposed Friday boost the cost of Netflix’s most popular U.S. streaming plan by $1 to $14 per month while a premium plan that allows more people to watch the service on different screens simultaneously will now cost $2 more at $18 per month. Netflix’s basic U.S. plan remains at $9 per month. It marks Netflix’s first ...

SEDA-COG welcomes new staff member

SEDA-Council of Governments welcomed new staff in October. Denise Feese joined SEDA-COG’s Procurement Technical Assistance Center as a program analyst on Oct. 5. She has experience in administrative, customer service, sales, marketing, accounting, purchasing, inventory control, and ...

Funeral Directors Association installs secretary treasurer and president elect

Bruce Parthemore was installed as the 2020-21 president elect and Michael Hacker was installed as the secretary treasurer of the Pennsylvania Funeral Directors Association at the association’s Fall Board Meeting. Organized in 1881, PFDA is one of the largest state funeral director associations in the nation. Hacker is a graduate of Sullivan County High School, Class of 1993, he earned a degree in Business Administration from the Pennsylvania College of Technology and graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. Hacker started his career with McCarty-Thomas Funeral ...

Older workers face higher unemployment amid COVID

AP Personal Finance Writer For the first time in nearly 50 years, older workers face higher unemployment than their midcareer counterparts, according to a study released Tuesday by the New School university in New York City. The pandemic has wreaked havoc on employment for people of all ages. But researchers found that during its course, workers 55 and older lost jobs sooner, were rehired slower and continue to face higher job losses than their counterparts ages 35 to 54. It is the first time since 1973 that such a severe unemployment gap has persisted for six months or longer. ...

Restaurants adapt to COVID challenges

Whether it’s sanitization, loss of revenue from fewer tables allowed or easing people’s minds to eat, the COVID-19 pandemic has hit restaurants hard. As winter arrives, diners huddle and go inside. Some restaurants are putting portable heating units on enclosed patio spaces. That’s ...