Narragansett Bay Insurance is promoting from within and enhancing the pay of insurance jobs in Rhode Island.

Chief Executive Officer Nick Steffey recently announced the promotions of several employees, citing their dedication and accomplishments and reinforcing Narragansett Bay Insurance Company’s commitment to creating a work environment focused on professional growth and upward mobility.

Calling the employees “shining stars,” Steffey made the announcements at the company’s expanded and renovated headquarters at 25 Maple St. in downtown Pawtucket. The renovations include a state-of-the-art fitness center for Narragansett Bay Insurance Company’s employees, offering free gym memberships, professional trainers, nutritionists and a massage therapist.

Since 2008, the number of NBIC employees has grown 76 percent, and that growth continues, with 15 additional professional positions approved for Q4 hiring. Cited by the “Providence Business News” as the fastest growing company in Rhode Island among firms with up to $25 million in capital, NBIC is expected to have a record-setting year.

Bank of America said this week it is recruiting for dozens of finance jobs in Rhode Island among other locations.

The banking giant is also hiring for finance jobs in Boston, and other locales.

The company previously said it would hire 1,000 small business bankers across the nation by mid-2012.

Now the bank is hiring more than 50 small business bankers in New England to provide guidance and counsel to local small business owners, it said in a press release.

These bankers bankers will consult with small business owners at their place of business and assess their companies’ deposit, credit and cash management needs.

These new hires will support the unique needs of small business owners in the following regions:

Massachusetts – 32 hires, including 13 in Greater Boston.
Connecticut – 14 hires.
Rhode Island – 5 hires.

“For well over 200 years, New England has been a pioneer of entrepreneurial innovation, and Bank of America is proud to be supporting the region’s entrepreneurial heritage,” said Bob Gallery, Massachusetts president for Bank of America. “Our small business bankers will provide business owners in New England with the tools they need to continue to be the engine that drives our local and national economy forward.”

“Our bankers spend the time needed with each of our clients to fully understand their deposit, credit, payroll and cash management needs, while serving as a conduit to experts across the Bank of America franchise,” said Raj Kochhar, Small Business Banking region executive for the Northeast. “They can help small business owners with complex issues ranging from commercial real estate needs to providing the right retirement solutions for themselves and their employees.”

Rhode Island’s unemployment rate has once again ticked up.

The RI Department of Labor and Training said that the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for December 2011 was 10.8 percent, up three-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month.

This marks the second consecutive monthly increase in the unemployment rate.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.5 percent in December, down two-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month and down nine-tenths of a percentage point from December 2010.

Despite the bad news, the rate is better than last year.

The December 2011 rate was down seven-tenths of a percentage point from the previous December, representing the 15th consecutive month of year-over-year decreases in the state’s unemployment rate.

The number of employed RI residents was unchanged over the November figures, remaining at 503,400 in December. Over the year, the number of employed RI residents was down 7,700 from December 2010.

The RI labor force totaled 564,200 in December 2011, up 1,500 from November but down 13,100 from December 2010 estimates. The labor force increase was due entirely to the increase in the number of unemployed residents. This is the third consecutive month that the RI labor force has increased, following nine consecutive months of decreases.

Over the year, total non-farm employment was up 500 from December 2010. Job gains were reported in six economic sectors over the year, including Professional & Business Services (+1,400), Construction (+900), Educational Services (+700), Wholesale Trade (+400), Transportation & Utilities (+200) and Accommodation & Food Services (+100).

The recently announced Sears store closures will most likely affect sales jobs in Rhode Island.
Chief Executive Officer Lou D’Ambrosio said in an earnings call that Sears and Kmart will close 100 stores.

“Given our performance and the difficult economic environment, especially for big-ticket items, we intend to implement a series of actions to reduce on-going expenses, adjust our asset base, and accelerate the transformation of our business model. These actions will better enable us to focus our investments on serving our customers and members through integrated retail – at the store, online and in the home,” said Chief Executive Officer Lou D’Ambrosio.

D’Ambrosio said other actions to curb costs include:

– Excluding the effect of store closures, we currently expect to reduce 2012 peak domestic inventory by $300 million from the 2011 level of $10.2 billion at the end of the third quarter as a result of cost decreases in apparel, tighter buys and a lower inventory position at the beginning of the fiscal year.
– Focus on improving gross profit dollars through better inventory management and more targeted pricing and promotion.
– Reduce our fixed costs by $100 to $200 million.

Kmart’s quarter-to-date comparable store sales decline reflects decreases in the consumer electronics and apparel categories and lower layaway sales. Sears Domestic’s quarter-to-date sales decline was primarily driven by the consumer electronics and home appliance categories, with more than half of the decline in Sears Domestic occurring in consumer electronics. Sears apparel sales were flat and Lands’ End in Sears stores was up mid-single digits.

The layoffs are also affecting Tampa retail jobs.

TMS Funding recently said it is actively hiring for sales jobs in Rhode Island.

TMS is the wholesale residential lending channel of Total Mortgage Services, LLC.

The company affirmed the recruiting push and said expand its wholesale lending market position throughout the 21 states and Washington, DC in which it is currently licensed for wholesale mortgage production.

“TMS Funding’s growth strategy is focused on expanding our team of experienced Account Executives to service and support high quality mortgage brokers, introducing new products, such as our recently introduced flexible jumbo mortgage product, and leveraging our significant investment in our operational infrastructure to deliver the perfect mortgage to all our stakeholders in the most efficient manner,” commented John Walsh, President of Total Mortgage Services. “This new hiring campaign demonstrates our total commitment to the wholesale channel as well as the mortgage broker community while positioning TMS Funding to further expand its production volume into 2012 and beyond.”

TMS Funding said it is hiring Account Executives to service mortgage brokers in all areas of California, Florida, Georgia Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Mississippi, North Carolina, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Vermont and Washington DC.

Bradley-Morris has announced a slew of new job fairs designed to help the military find Rhode Island jobs.

The military-focused recruiting firm helps companies find talented military personnel for key positions.

The ConferenceHire events will take place in the following locations:

• 1/23 Austin, TX
• 1/23 Norfolk, VA
• 1/30 Atlanta, GA
• 2/13 Providence, RI
• 2/13 San Diego, CA
• 2/27 Austin, TX
• 3/05 Atlanta, GA
• 3/12 Norfolk, VA
• 3/19 San Diego, CA
• 3/26 Chicago, IL

Bradley-Morris is also connecting job seekers with Atlanta jobs.

“Military-friendly companies are approaching 2012 with a renewed sense of optimism,” said Sandra (Sandy) Morris, CEO. “For these employers who are already taking advantage of the military talent pool to help them grow and diversify their businesses, and also for companies who may be new to hiring transitioning military and veterans, the first quarter presents an ideal opportunity to leverage BMI’s hiring events.”

Rhode Island unemployment has actually increased, according to a release from the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training.

According to the Dept., the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November 2011 was 10.5 percent, up one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month. This represents the first monthly increase in the unemployment rate since December 2009. However, the November 2011 rate was down a full percentage point from the previous November, representing the 14th consecutive month of year-over-year decreases in the state’s unemployment rate.

The U.S. unemployment rate was 8.6 percent in November, down four-tenths of a percentage point from the previous month and down one and two-tenths percentage points from November 2010.

The number of unemployed RI residents—those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment—increased by 500 over the October figures, rising to 59,200 in November, the first over-the-month increase since March 2010. Over the year, the number of unemployed RI residents dropped by 7,000.

Due to numerous eligibility requirements, the number of unemployed RI residents differs from the number of RI Unemployment Insurance recipients. The average weekly claim load for RI Unemployment Insurance benefits in November was 30,215, up 1,976 (+7.0%) from the October average of 28,239 but down 3,239 (-9.7%) from the November 2010 average of 33,454.

The number of employed RI residents increased 400 over the October figures, totaling 503,300 in November, the second consecutive over-the-month increase in the number of employed. Over the year, the number of employed RI residents was down 7,500 from November 2010.

The RI labor force totaled 562,500 in November 2011, up 900 from October but down 14,600 from November 2010 estimates. The labor force increase (+900) was due to the increase in the number of employed (+400) combined with the increase in the number of unemployed (+500). This is the second consecutive month that the RI labor force has increased, following nine consecutive months of decreases.

Narragansett Bay Insurance has promoted several people to Rhode Island insurance jobs.

Executive Officer Nick Steffey recently announced the promotions of several employees, citing their dedication and accomplishments and reinforcing Narragansett Bay Insurance Company’s commitment to creating a work environment focused on professional growth and upward mobility.

Calling the employees “shining stars,” Steffey made the announcements at the company’s expanded and renovated headquarters at 25 Maple St. in downtown Pawtucket. The renovations include a fitness center for Narragansett Bay Insurance Company’s employees, offering free gym memberships, professional trainers, nutritionists and a massage therapist.

Since 2008, the number of NBIC employees has grown 76 percent, and that growth continues, with 15 additional professional positions approved for Q4 hiring. Cited by the “Providence Business News” as the fastest growing company in Rhode Island among firms with up to $25 million in capital, NBIC is expected to have a record-setting year.

A new survey posits that jobs in Rhode Island could burgeon.

A national survey conducted by Dice Holdings, Inc., a provider of specialized career websites for professional communities, found that nearly half (47%) of hiring managers and recruiters say they plan additional hiring during the first half of 2012, as compared to the second half of 2011. Read the rest of this entry »

According to the Rhode Island Dept. of Labor, Rhode Island unemployment has decreased from 10.4 percent, down one-tenth of a percentage point from the previous month and down one and one-tenth percentage points from October 2010.

The number of unemployed RI residents—those residents classified as available for and actively seeking employment—decreased by 200 over the September figures, falling to 58,600 in October, the 19th consecutive over-the-month decline. Over the year, the number of unemployed RI residents dropped by 7,700.

Elsewhere in the nation, other companies are hiring for Boston jobs. It appears employment is increasing in several states.

Due to numerous eligibility requirements, the number of unemployed RI residents differs from the number of RI Unemployment Insurance recipients. The average weekly claim load for RI Unemployment Insurance benefits in October was 28,239, down 1,301 (-4.4%) from the September average of 29,540 and down 4,809 (-14.6%) from the October 2010 average of 33,048.

The number of employed RI residents increased 1,300 over the September figures, totaling 502,900 in October.  This is the first over-the-month increase in employed RI residents since April 2011, and the largest over-the-month increase since March 2010 (+1,500). Over the year, the number of employed RI residents was down 7,700 from October 2010.

The RI labor force totaled 561,500 in October 2011, up 1,100 from September but down 15,400 from October 2010 estimates. The over-the-month increase in the number of employed residents outweighed the decrease in the number of unemployed residents, causing the labor force to post its first over-the-month increase since December 2010.

The Manufacturing sector lost 800 jobs over the month, with the majority of the job losses stemming from the durable goods component of manufacturing, mainly fabricated metal product and wood product manufacturing. Three sectors – Retail Trade, Accommodation & Food Services and Other Services – each shed 500 jobs since September. Employment declines in Retail Trade were reported in the clothing & clothing accessories stores subsector and the sporting goods, book stores, music stores & hobby stores subsector. Accommodation & Food Services experienced payroll declines in hotel & motel establishments, as well as in full service restaurants. Losses in Other Services can be attributed to reductions in civic & social organizations and business, professional, labor & political organizations.