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U.S. employers less optimistic about hiring

Business briefs: Dec. 10

Rocky staff and wire reports

Published December 10, 2008 at 12:05 a.m.
Updated December 10, 2008 at 12:35 a.m.

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Centura Health appointed Sharon Pappas as chief nursing executive.

Centura Health appointed Sharon Pappas as chief nursing executive.

The Denver office of Leo A Daly hired Keith Conrad as a senior architect and project manager.

The Denver office of Leo A Daly hired Keith Conrad as a senior architect and project manager.

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U.S. employers were less optimistic about future hiring plans than a year ago but more optimistic than their overseas counterparts, according to a recent survey.

Two-thirds of U.S. employers planned no changes in hiring in the first three months of 2009, according to a survey from Manpower Inc., a staffing company, up from 60 percent at the same time last year and 59 percent in the previous quarter.

The net employment outlook for the U.S. - the proportion of employers who see an uptick in hiring minus those who plan to decrease staffing - was 10 percent for the first quarter of next year, adjusted for seasonal variations, down from 17 percent at the same time last year and up slightly from 9 percent in the previous three-month period.

"The global employment picture for the first quarter of the New Year is noticeably weaker," said Jeffrey Joerres, chief executive of Manpower.

* The government has further lowered its projections for winter heating costs because of the dramatic drop in crude oil prices.

The Energy Department said Tuesday fuel oil for heating this winter will be nearly a fourth of what it cost last winter.

NATIONAL

Wal-Mart to settle class-action lawsuit about labor violations

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said Tuesday it will pay up to $54.25 million to settle a class-action lawsuit that alleged the discount giant cut workers' break time and didn't prevent employees from working off the clock in Minnesota.

The class includes about 100,000 current and former hourly workers who were employed at Wal-Mart Stores and Sam's Clubs in Minnesota from Sept. 11, 1998, through Nov. 14, 2008. Wal-Mart also has agreed to maintain electronic systems, surveys and notices to stay compliant with wage and hour policies and Minnesota laws.

KROGER'S PROFIT DOWN Grocery chain Kroger, the nation's largest traditional grocery store and parent of King Soopers and City Market, reported Tuesday that its third-quarter profit fell 6 percent, mainly because of damages and disruption from Hurricane Ike, and indicated that it expects slow holiday spending to hurt fourth-quarter results.

The company did manage to boost sales during the recession, as people cut restaurant spending and bought more store brands and store-prepared meals to take home. Third-quarter revenue rose 9 percent to $17.6 billion.

ACCORD AIDS DELTA Delta Air Lines Inc., the world's biggest carrier, said Tuesday it is getting a $1 billion boost following a credit card agreement it has reached with American Express Co. A company executive also said Delta expects to turn a profit in 2009.

The companies have offered a portfolio of card products since 1996. Delta will receive an immediate $1 billion boost to its liquidity from a purchase of SkyMiles that American Express will use in part for its membership rewards program.

LOCAL

Southwest will add round trip to Tucson in reallocation move

Southwest cut 32 round trips from the schedule and added 19 new ones, including a Denver flight, for a net decrease of 13, the Dallas-based airline said Tuesday. The changes are effective for flights May 9 through June 26.

With the changes, Southwest is "eliminating unproductive flights and reallocating our aircraft to match supply with demand, all the while focusing on key cities such as Denver," Chief Executive Officer Gary Kelly said.

Southwest added a daily nonstop round trip between Denver and Tucson, and a daily return flight between Nashville, Tenn., and Oakland, Calif., and between Nashville and Seattle. The changes affect 102 markets.

UNION PLANS MARCH The Service Employees International Union plans to hold a rally and march in downtown Denver on Thursday to draw attention to its push for health-care reform and legislation making it easier for workers to organize.

More than 500 members of the labor group will join union leaders at the 10:30 a.m. event that will start at the Colorado Convention Center at the corner of Stout Street and Speer Boulevard and then proceed to the Auraria campus.

HUNTER DOUGLAS CUTS JOBS The windows fashion division of European-based Hunter Douglas Group is laying off about 30 employees at its facilities in Broomfield. The cuts amount to some 3 percent of the work force there. A spokeswoman said the cuts were made to "adjust staffing levels to current economic conditions."

THIS JUST IN

* Gov. Bill Ritter appointed 11 new members to his advisory council on small business: Coulter M. Bump, Burke O'Hara Fort, Greg Lopez, Shelley McPherson, James Neubecker, Christina S. Reddin, Kelly Roth, Arjun Sen, Nirav Shah, Mark Thomas and Richard Wertz. Sandra Gutierrez was reappointed to the panel.

* The Securities and Exchange Commission's Denver Regional Office named Donald M. Hoerl as regional director.

* Hispanic Contractors of Colorado gave Guillermo "Bill" Vidal its Political Achievement award and Jerry L. Morgensen its Community Advocate award.

* CoBiz Financial elected Robert W. Donegan, CEO of Navajo Manufacturing, to the board of directors representing its banking franchise.

* CH2M HILL received two 2009 Engineering Excellence Awards from the Colorado chapter of the American Council of Engineering Companies.

* Live Well Properties named Chad Barnard as president.

* Denver-based Welch Creative Group received three Colorado Healthcare Communicator's Gold Leaf Awards.

* The Harris Law Firm promoted Kevin Massaro to counsel, and Alexandra White and Michael Cheroutes Jr. to partners.

* Percept Technology Labs hired Mark Tilleman to serve as sales manager.

* A statewide series of "Surviving Tough Times" business workshops will begin Thursday at Pueblo Community College. A second forum will be Tuesday at the Auraria Campus in Denver. Information: scoredenver.org.

* Michelle Hutchison joined Bondi & Co as a senior accountant.

* Interweave acquired CrochetMe.com.

* The Gay & Lesbian Fund for Colorado announced the winners of its 2008 Advancing Equality Awards: Outstanding Nonprofit Organization, Anti-Defamation League, led by Bruce DeBoskey; Outstanding Public Official, state Sen. John Morse; Outstanding Community Supporter, Ray Aguilera; Stonewall Award for Gay and Transgender Rights, Colorado Anti-Violence Program, led by Crystal Middlestadt and Kelly Costello; and Youth Advocate for Excellence, K.C. Heim.

* The Community College of Aurora Foundation Board elected Amy E. McLaughry to its board.

* The Bates Law Firm moved to Country Club Village in Westminster.

* Centura Health appointed Stephen Brown III as chief medical executive and Sharon Pappas as chief nursing executive.

* The Denver office of Leo A Daly hired Keith Conrad as a senior architect and project manager with a focus on higher education projects.