Business & Innovation

Slow recovery means helping hands still needed

Signs of an economic recovery have yet to show up in the jobless rate - both nationally and in Delaware. Unemployment in First State stood at 8.4 percent in November. That means 35,500 Delaware residents out of work. While that number is down about 15 hundred from a year ago at this time, it still leaves many Delawareans looking for assistance. DFM News’ Patrick Mairs visited the Food Bank of Delaware to see how one organization that is on the front lines of providing that assistance is keeping up with the continued demand. ...More

Little holiday cheer for Delaware’s unemployed

Without the 13 month extension of unemployment benefits passed by the lame duck session of Congress and signed into law by President Obama Friday as part of the $856 billion tax deal, an additional 7 million long term unemployed could have lost their benefits between now and next November. But with the nation’s unemployment rate at 9.8 percent and Delaware’s at 8.4 percent, the struggle to find work will continue for thousands through the holiday season and into 2011. DFM News’ Patrick Mairs provides a look at what that effort to find a job looks like in the First State. ...More

Will Delaware maintain its edge in the race for offshore wind?

After major steps backward and forward this year, champions of Delaware's offshore wind project now expect to see the first spinning windmills by 2014. While they express optimism in the competition to become a wind-energy leader, key players in the effort voice frustration over bureaucratic delays.

See also: Will Delaware’s windfarm be ‘Made in Delaware’?

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Will Delaware’s windfarm be ‘Made in Delaware’?

The type of wind turbine that NRG Bluewater seeks to build off the Delaware coast contains about 8,000 components. Who will supply them? Although the state recently lost out on a multimillion dollar grant to develop a facility at the Port of Wilmington to build and ship wind turbine parts, officials say that’s not a major setback to establishing a windpower supply chain here. ...More

Searching for the ‘intersection of energy and economy’ in Delaware.

At a two-day conference, “Creating the Clean Energy Economy,” at the University of Delaware this week, Delaware officials expressed optimism that wind power, energy efficiency, and other clean energy initiatives can grow into an economic engine that creates jobs and stimulates Delaware’s economy. ...More

Economic win for Sussex County as Perdue subsidiary moves headquarters to Delaware

One of Delaware’s major downstate industries a significant boost Tuesday as state officials celebrated the latest of four major deals this year to strengthen the state's position as a key player in agriculture. Perdue AgriBusiness, a subsidiary of Perdue Inc., announced today it is relocating its corporate headquarters and trading operations from Salisbury, Md., to Seaford, with assistance from the Delaware Strategic Fund, which has been used aggressively in recent months to aid agriculture-related business. ...More

Next step to new life at former Chrysler plant in Newark

Last November, The University of Delaware completed a deal to acquire the shuttered Chrysler assembly plant in Newark with plans to convert it into a science and technology business development and research campus. The next major step in making those plans a reality came Friday when decommissioning of the former auto plant began. ...More

It’s about jobs: Going green

Rather than wait for the overall economy to improve, 27 students have decided to catch the "green economy" wave and are beginning their studies in a new two-year energy management program at Delaware Technical & Community College (DTCC). The program offers an associate’s degree after two years of coursework involving both online instruction and practical lab work. The courses are aimed at preparing students for variety of positions, including facility manager, energy auditor, and energy program coordinator. ...More

It’s about jobs: “How can I help you?”

Listen to any candidate campaigning this fall and you’ll likely hear that the 2010 election is about "jobs, jobs, jobs.” How can government influence getting people back to work? DFM News found some efforts already underway. Mark Fowser highlights a program funded by the Delaware Economic Development Office aimed at funneling people toward state’s growing customer service industry. ...More

Wanna be a casino dealer? Get in line.

Job creation is one argument proponents of casino expansion use in their pitch to add more gambling venues in Delaware. And if the recent Delaware Park job fair is any indication, there's plenty of interest in casino jobs. 130 job seekers lined up at Delaware Park’s administrative offices for a chance to become a poker dealer.
»» IN DEPTH COVERAGE - Delaware gaming expansion
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