Confidence among U.S. homebuilders surged in June to the highest level in seven years, reflecting gains in sales as Americans rushed to take advantage of low mortgage rates. The National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo index of builder sentiment rose 8 points, the biggest monthly increase since September 2002, to 52 during the month, the Washington-based group reported today. The reading, the highest since March 2006, exceeded all 50 forecasts in a Bloomberg survey in which the median was 45. Readings above 50 mean more respondents said conditions were good. Bloomberg
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Airbus sent a new wide-body plane into the skies Friday that sets the stage for intensifying competition with U.S. rival Boeing - with consequences for jobs, airlines' investments and the reputations of the powerful plane makers. After years of delays and a revamp that cost billions, the A350 cruised for four hours in partly cloudy skies above Toulouse in southern France. Most importantly, it then landed safely. Huffington Post
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Throughout the ups and downs of the recovery, the health-care sector has remained a jobs engine, notching 11,000 of the 175,000 positions added in May. The Labor Department’s tallies for the health-care sector reflect a trend toward more outpatient care, with hospitals shedding almost 6,000 jobs last month while doctors’ offices and ambulatory care centers added workers. Wall Street Journal
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MOBILE, Alabama – Health care and manufacturing will continue to drive southwest Alabama employment through 2020, according to the most recent figures released by Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley’s Office of Workforce Development. al.com
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New York radio listeners, give it up for Gov. Rick Perry of Texas. Not to be outdone by a potential rival for the governorship who invited New York gun owners to move to Texas after New York tightened its gun laws in January, Mr. Perry has released a radio ad here comparing Texas’s business climate quite favorably to New York’s. “The new New York sounds a lot like the old New York,” Mr. Perry says in a dig at the Cuomo administration’s recently unveiled “New New York” economic development campaign. “Higher taxes. Stifling regulations. Bureaucrats telling you whether you can even drink a Big Gulp.” Mr. Perry explains that things are different in Texas, where there is no income tax, “fair and predictable regulations” (very helpful if you prefer that first responders not know how much explosive ammonium nitrate is on hand at your fertilizer plant), and lawsuit reforms that “keep trial lawyers out of your pockets so you can grow your business.” The New York Times
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The Texas housing rebound, fueled by strong job and economic growth, shows no sign of letting up, according to a new report by the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas. “Stronger-than-average employment growth and consistent in-migration should continue boosting demand for homes and apartments” as the regional economy continues to expand, said business economist D’Ann Petersen and research analyst Christina Daly in the latest issue of the Dallas Fed’s Southwest Economy. Through April, Texas home sales rose an annualized 23 percent — a gain not seen since before the housing crisis. Through first quarter of this year, Texas home prices exceeded the pre-recession peak in late 2007 by 7 percent, the report said. Nationally, home prices are 13.8 percent below their peak in late 2007. Dallas Morning News
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Here’s an update on department store retailer Kohl’s major office plans in Dallas first reported by Dallas Morning News Staff Writer Steve Brown on April 16. The Wisconsin-based department store promised to create 1,000 jobs in Dallas by 2018, according to sources familiar with Kohl’s pending lease of 230,000 square feet of office space in Waterview Place near State Highway 190. The empty buildings previously housed operations for Alliance Data and other business tenants. Gov. Perry’s office just issued a press release saying it’s 1,500 jobs. Kohl’s has also committed to hire and train workers “from socioeconomically challenged backgrounds.” Dallas Morning News
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TALLAHASSEE — Gov. Rick Scott and Amazon announced a deal Thursday in which the Internet retail giant would create 3,000 new jobs in Florida by 2016 — with about a third of those likely headed for a 1-million-square-foot warehouse in Ruskin, a part of Hillsborough County desperately needing an economic jolt. But the good news comes with a catch: The new jobs in the state also mean consumers will be required to pay a 6 percent state sales tax on all the books, DVDs, CDs and other products they buy through Amazon.com. The tax will kick in once the company opens its Florida operations centers, possibly next year. Tampa Bay Times
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WASHINGTON -- Chinese manufacturers that set up factories in the United States could help create local jobs and win-win situation for the world's two largest economies, two US mayors said on Wednesday. The genuine dialogue of doing business between the United States and China "has to happen on the local level," Sheldon Day, mayor of Thomasville City, Alabama, said at a manufacturing symposium held in Washington D.C. When a Chinese company selects a location for its factories in the United States, it will choose a community either in a small town or a big city. Local leaders in both countries should start their conversations early to help Chinese entrepreneurs do business in US communities, Day said at the event co-hosted by Beijing-based Asian Manufacturing Association and SoZo Group, an investment consulting firm. China Daily
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The University of Kentucky (UK) and GE Appliances have entered a master agreement to collaborate on research projects that could yield new inventions in the field of major appliances. UK President Eli Capilouto and Vice President for Research James W. Tracy joined GE Appliances President & CEO Chip Blankenship and Vice President of Technology Kevin Nolan today at a ceremony held at GE's Appliance Park in Louisville. The agreement specifies terms and conditions for the licensing and sharing of jointly developed intellectual property and establishes parameters for future research projects. "Designing and manufacturing home appliances requires expertise in multiple branches of science and engineering," said Kevin Nolan. "The research agreement between GE Appliances and UK provides the framework for working together on challenging problems and helps us leverage the technical expertise at UK." Energybiz.com
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