Tarrant Business

GE has begun hiring and training workers for new manufacturing plants

GE Manufacturing Solutions has begun hiring and training employees for its new mining equipment and locomotive manufacturing operations in far north Fort Worth.

GE officials said Monday they have already hired and trained a handful of manufacturing workers to build electric-drive wheel systems for huge off-road vehicles used in mining.

Many more must be hired and trained before the locomotive manufacturing plant can begin operations in the fourth quarter.

“This has been a very challenging timetable to get a facility” set up and running, said Walter Amaya, the executive overseeing preparations for the two plants.

The Texas Workforce Commission presented a $744,845 check to Tarrant County College to fund job training for 275 GE workers. Training will be provided at TCC’s South campus and at the North Central Texas College welding training lab in Gainesville.

Once trained GE workers starting pay will be $17 an hour. Applications for positions at the two GE plants can only be submitted online at: www.getjobsintexas.com

-Bob Cox

 

GM to add third shift and 800 jobs at Arlington plant

 

 General Motors has just announced plans to add a third shift at the Arlington Truck Assembly Plant in 2013 and will begin filling the first of an estimated 800 jobs later this year.

The Arlington plant currently employs about 2,500 hourly and salaried employees -- roughly 2,300 of them on the assembly line -- and operates two production shifts working 50-hours a week and more.

The plant produces GM's top selling  Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade full-sized sport utility vehicles, and built a record 282,000 in 2010. In 2011, the plant produced nearly 270,000 vehicles and GE said demand for the full-size SUVs remains stable.

GM, in a press release, said the third shift will enable Arlington to meet market demand for the current generation of full-size SUVs and provide relief for employees who have worked extensive overtime since the fourth quarter of 2009.

The installation of new tooling and equipment required to build GM’s new line of SUVs will limit vehicle production in 2013. A third shift will provide the plant needed production capacity during this transition time.

GM is already adding to the Arlington plant to add equipment for stamping body parts for the 2014 model vehicles.

- Bob Cox

 

Texas adds 13,200 jobs in April, Workforce Commission reports

Texas added 13,200 jobs in April, and the state’s unemployment rate fell to 6.9 percent, down from 7 percent in March and 8 percent a year ago, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.

Compared to a year ago, Texas is up 225,000 jobs, the commission said.

“The Texas economy continues to add jobs, with 10 of 11 major industries growing over the past year,” Andres Alcantar, the commission chairman, said. “The continued growth across industries is positive.”

Texas’ private sector employers added 12,200 jobs over March and were up 277,100 jobs from a year ago, the commission said.

Construction led, with an increase of 7,300 jobs and was up 14,100 jobs from a year ago. Trade, transportation and utilities was up 2,900 in April and was up 42,300 from a year ago.

Mining and logging added 400 jobs in April and was up 33,900 from a year ago.

Manufacturing was up 6,300 jobs in April and 25,400 from a year earlier.

Information was up 800 jobs in April and 2,100 from a year earlier.

Financial activities was down 1,900 jobs in April and was up 13,800 from a year ago.

Professional and business services was off 2,600 jobs in April, but was up 39,500 from a year ago.

Education and health services was up 2,500 jobs for April and 49,100 from a year ago.

Leisure and hospitality was of 4,300 jobs in April, but up 42,600 from a year ago.

Other services added 800 jobs in April, and were up 14,300 from a year ago.

Government, which includes public schools, added 1,000 jobs in April, but was off 51,300 jobs from a year ago.

The Fort Worth-Arlington jobless rate fell to 6.3 percent in April from 7.5 percent a year ago.

- Scott Nishimura

Grand Prairie's Paragon Outlets job fair Friday: 1,300 positions on display

Paragon Outlets is getting ready this summer to open its 420,000-square-foot retail center in south Grand Prairie, and the stores are hiring.

There’s a job fair, 3 p.m.-7 p.m. Friday at Dubiski High School, 2990 Texas 161 in Grand Prairie. The center’s 100 stores will be seeking to fill about 1,300 positions from the fair, and will have about 3,000 once fully open, Lacey Douglas, spokeswoman for Workforce Solutions for Tarrant County, said.

Workforce Solutions Tarrant County is teaming with Workforce Solutions Greater Dallas, the Grand Prairie Chamber of Commerce, and the Grand Prairie Independent School District for the fair.

For a list of the retailers in the center, click here.  

Jobseekers can also apply for open jobs before attending the fair at www.workintexas.com.

- Scott Nishimura

Trader Joe's hiring for Fort Worth store

Trader Joe's hasn't said when it plans to open its new Fort Worth store, beyond this Spring. But it's posted on CraigsList, looking to hire people for work to begin at the end of May.

Starting Tuesday, the company began taking applications at the store, 2701 S. Hulen St. The company said in posts on its web site and the free CraigsList site that it’s taking applications 9 a.m.-noon, and 2 p.m.-5 p.m.

"We are hiring for work to begin at the end of May," the company said.

The company is advertising for "Store Crew" who will work on the cash registers, bag groceries, stock shelves, build displays, and "have fun helping customers."

Additionally, Trader Joe’s wants people with specialized talents.

Have a "Passion for Art? Flair for Food? Love of Wine?"

Trader Joe’s wants people who who can craft handmade signs promoting merchandise; plan, prepare, and serve samples of food to customers; and answer customers’ questions about wine.

The company confirmed last fall it was headed for Fort Worth, and said then it expected to open in the Spring.

Alison Mochizuki, spokeswoman for the California-based Trader Joe’s, said in an email that the company doesn’t say how many people it hires per store or expects to hire. She also said the company isn’t yet saying when its opening will be.

 

- Scott Nishimura

AllianceTexas announces job fair date

Jobseekers will have the chance to meet with representatives from the more than 40 companies in the AllianceTexas development in north Fort Worth at a job fair Friday, April 27.

The fair will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Texas Motor Speedway’s Speedway Club, at 3545 Lone Star Circle. It is sponsored by Hillwood, the Alliance Opportunity Center and Workforce Solution for Tarrant County.

Among the companies participating are AIG, CK Technologies, Bridgestone, Cinemark, Deloitte University/Benchmark Hospitality, DynCorp International, FedEx, Fidelity Investments, GE Transportation, Grainger, Hawaiian Falls, JCPenney, KRAFT Foods, Kroger, Lockheed Martin, Mercedes-Benz Financial Services, Michaels Stores, Nationwide Insurance, RECARO Aircraft Seating, Texas Health Resources, Texas Instruments, Tom Thumb and Tucker Rocky.

Positions likely will range from warehouse/manufacturing/distribution staff, forklift operators, logistics professionals, financial service professionals, administrative professionals, food service staff, commercial drivers, call center operators, hospitality staff, bank tellers and customer service representatives.

"Corporate residents continue to relocate and expand at AllianceTexas because this region offers access to one of the most abundant and qualified labor forces in the nation," said Mike Berry, Hillwood president.

The job fair is the final segment of the 2012 North American Workforce Symposium being held on Thursday by Workforce Solutions for North Central Texas, the Manufacturing Skill Standards Council and Hillwood Properties. The event brings together business leaders, educational partners and community organizations to ensure a vibrant supply of trained and certified personnel for the manufacturing, supply chain and logistics industries.

For more information about the symposium, go online to www.nascocorridor.com/workforcesymposium.

For information on current job openings or the AllianceTexas Hiring Fair, go online to www.AllianceOpportunityCenter.com or call the Alliance Opportunity Center at 817-548-5274.

_ Sandra Baker

Texas, Fort Worth-Arlington jobless rates drop in March, Workforce Commission says

Texas added 10,900 jobs in March, the Texas Workforce Commission says this morning. Click here to read the st0ry at star-telegram.com.

- Scott Nishimura

 

Job market better for this year's college graduates

The hiring outlook is better for new college graduates.

Employers expect to hire 10.2 percent more new college graduates from the college class of 2012 than they did from the class of 2011, according to a new National Association of Colleges and Employers study

That’s up from the 9.5 percent hiring increase they projected for the class of 2012 when polled in September.

“Although employers haven’t revised their earlier projections significantly, this upward movement along with other positive economic indicators show that the job market for new college graduates is improving steadily,” said Marilyn Mackes, NACE executive director.

This marks the second straight year that employers adjusted their hiring expectations between the fall and Spring surveys, NACE said.

- Scott Nishimura

Texas jobless rate drops to 7.1 percent in February

Texas added 27,900 jobs in February and the state’s unemployment dropped to 7.1 percent from 7.3 percent a month earlier and 8 percent a year ago, the Texas Workforce Commission said Friday.

Private employers added 15,100 jobs of the total, the commission said.

Over the last year, Texas added 273,900 jobs, the commission said.

"Texas’ job growth over the past year points to a steady and sustained expansion of our state’s economy," Tom Pauken, the Workforce Commission chairman, said in a release. "Texas has experienced positive annual job growth for the last 22 months, and that’s because Texas continues to be a great place to work and do business."

Eight of 11 major industry segments were up from a month earlier.

•  Manufacturing was up 800 jobs over the month, and up 24,400 from a year ago.
• Construction was up 4,500 jobs for the month and 8,100 from a year ago.
• Trade, transportation and utilities was up 8,300 jobs from a month ago, and 68,300 from a year earlier.
• Education and health services was up 3,800 jobs from a month ago, and up 49,500 jobs from a year earlier.
• Financial activities was up 1,700 jobs from a montha go, and 16,000 from a year earlier.
• Other services was up 1,300 jobs from a month ago, and 18,900 from a year earlier.
• Government was up 12,800 from a month ago, and down 57,900 from a year earlier.
• Information was up 800 jobs from a month ago, and down 1,800 from a year earlier.
• Mining and logging was down 900 jobs from a month ago, and up 36,600 from a year ago.
• Professional and business services was down 3,000 jobs from a month ago, and up 57,700 from a year earlier.
• Leisure and hospitality was down 2,200 jobs from a month ago, and up 54,100 from a year earlier. 

Fort Worth-Arlington added 26,000 jobs from a year earlier, and the jobless rate was 7 percent in February, down from 8 percent a year earlier. - Scott Nishimura

Texas unemployment dips to 7.3 percent

Texas employers added 67,200 nonfarm payroll jobs in January and the state's seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 7.3 percent in January, down from 7.4 percent in December and down from 8.1 percent a year earlier. It's the state's lowest jobless rate since April 2009 and compares to the U.S. jobless rate of 8.3 percent. The Texas Workforce Commission said the state has added jobs 21 straight months when compared to the same month the previous year, and payroll jobs are up 258,200 in the past year. Private employers added 73,800 jobs in January, or 332,600 in the past year. TWC Chairman Tom Pauken noted that mining and logging, the category that includes oil and gas, added more than 38,000 jobs in the past year, including 5,700 in January, as crude oil prices have surged.

Nine of the 11 major industry groups added jobs in January, led by professional and business services, which added 18,100 jobs over the month and is up 69,500 jobs in the past year, or 5.3 percent, TWC said today. The report was released later than normal and coincided with the release of the U.S. jobless date for February, which showed the national unemployment rate unchanged at 8.3 percent.

-- Jim Fuquay