Amazon doubled the number of warehouses across the Philadelphia region during the pandemic, in part to take on arch rival Walmart. No other company can match the scale of Amazon's expansion here.When Connor Lord first arrived at the in West Deptford Township, he was staggered by the sheer size of the place. After driving through the traffic light to the north of the warehouse, its massive bulk dwarfed everything else in this stretch of suburban South Jersey.“It’s intimidating at first seeing this big building, it looked twice the size of ,” said Lord, who worked as an apprentice carpenter...…Amazon doubled the number of warehouses across the Philadelphia region during the pandemic, in part to take on arch rival Walmart. No other company can match the scale of Amazon's expansion here.When Connor Lord first arrived at the in West Deptford Township, he was staggered by the sheer size of the place. After driving through the traffic light to the north of the warehouse, its massive bulk dwarfed everything else in this stretch of suburban South Jersey.“It’s intimidating at first seeing this big building, it looked twice the size of ,” said Lord, who worked as an apprentice carpenter...WW…

Philadelphia’s average unemployment rate last year trailed only Detroit and Cleveland among 10 major U.S. cities, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ annual State of the City report.The pandemic hammered Philadelphia’s labor market harder than in other big cities last year, wiping out tens of thousands of jobs and widening the gap between the city and national jobless rates, according to a new report.Philadelphia’s average unemployment rate last year trailed only Detroit and Cleveland among 10 major U.S. cities, according to , released Tuesday. Philadelphia’s average unemployment rate...…Philadelphia’s average unemployment rate last year trailed only Detroit and Cleveland among 10 major U.S. cities, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts’ annual State of the City report.The pandemic hammered Philadelphia’s labor market harder than in other big cities last year, wiping out tens of thousands of jobs and widening the gap between the city and national jobless rates, according to a new report.Philadelphia’s average unemployment rate last year trailed only Detroit and Cleveland among 10 major U.S. cities, according to , released Tuesday. Philadelphia’s average unemployment rate...WW…

Councilmember Allan Domb introduced three bills Thursday to overhaul the city’s business tax code, a week before Mayor Jim Kenney is set to propose a budget for the next fiscal year.Philadelphia City Council will consider cutting taxes for businesses after the pandemic crushed the economy last year when stores closed and people started working from home.Councilmember Allan Domb introduced three bills Thursday to overhaul the city’s business tax code, a week before Mayor Jim Kenney is set to propose a budget for the next fiscal year. A spokesperson for the mayor suggested Kenney may propose...…Councilmember Allan Domb introduced three bills Thursday to overhaul the city’s business tax code, a week before Mayor Jim Kenney is set to propose a budget for the next fiscal year.Philadelphia City Council will consider cutting taxes for businesses after the pandemic crushed the economy last year when stores closed and people started working from home.Councilmember Allan Domb introduced three bills Thursday to overhaul the city’s business tax code, a week before Mayor Jim Kenney is set to propose a budget for the next fiscal year. A spokesperson for the mayor suggested Kenney may propose...WW…

Jobless workers have said they dial the agency hundreds of times per day to get beyond the busy signal.Pennsylvania’s Labor and Industry Department said Wednesday that it would hire at least 500 people to answer phone calls from jobless workers, who can wait hours to get unemployment questions answered, if at all.The new hires are meant to improve customer service at unemployment compensation centers, which handle a crush of jobless claims caused by the coronavirus and government restrictions. The additional staff will also free up experienced employees to resolve claims full time and look...…Jobless workers have said they dial the agency hundreds of times per day to get beyond the busy signal.Pennsylvania’s Labor and Industry Department said Wednesday that it would hire at least 500 people to answer phone calls from jobless workers, who can wait hours to get unemployment questions answered, if at all.The new hires are meant to improve customer service at unemployment compensation centers, which handle a crush of jobless claims caused by the coronavirus and government restrictions. The additional staff will also free up experienced employees to resolve claims full time and look...WW…

In late January, a lawyer for the casino demanded that Chadds Ford Live stop using the mark, arguing it would likely confuse consumers.When a local newspaper went out of business in 2009, Emily Myers tried to keep the community informed by launching Chadds Ford Live, an online newsletter that and “tedious” government meetings.As publisher, she said she designed the newsletter’s logo herself, in part by writing the word “Live” on her computer and scrolling through fonts until she found one that “looked alive.”“It just looked like it was made for that word,” Myers said of the font she...…In late January, a lawyer for the casino demanded that Chadds Ford Live stop using the mark, arguing it would likely confuse consumers.When a local newspaper went out of business in 2009, Emily Myers tried to keep the community informed by launching Chadds Ford Live, an online newsletter that and “tedious” government meetings.As publisher, she said she designed the newsletter’s logo herself, in part by writing the word “Live” on her computer and scrolling through fonts until she found one that “looked alive.”“It just looked like it was made for that word,” Myers said of the font she...WW…

Online scams targeting unemployment benefits are on the rise amid new federal aid.Online fraudsters tried to scam jobless workers using a fake Facebook page that closely resembled the one used by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, except for one important detail. The scammers misspelled the word “labor.”Grifters running a Facebook account for a “labour” department, using the British spelling of the word, tried to obtain workers’ personal and confidential information, such as Social Security or unemployment claim numbers, a department spokesperson said Monday. That phony page...…Online scams targeting unemployment benefits are on the rise amid new federal aid.Online fraudsters tried to scam jobless workers using a fake Facebook page that closely resembled the one used by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, except for one important detail. The scammers misspelled the word “labor.”Grifters running a Facebook account for a “labour” department, using the British spelling of the word, tried to obtain workers’ personal and confidential information, such as Social Security or unemployment claim numbers, a department spokesperson said Monday. That phony page...WW…

The landscaping company made famous by the bizarre Rudy Giuliani press conference will help train jobless residents for landscaping careers under a new job training program.A new job training program will give some lucky Philadelphians the chance to land a possible dream job: a position at the famed Four Seasons Total Landscaping.The landscaping company made famous by will help train jobless residents for landscaping careers under a program launched with the nonprofits University City District and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp (PIDC). Four Seasons plans to eventually...…The landscaping company made famous by the bizarre Rudy Giuliani press conference will help train jobless residents for landscaping careers under a new job training program.A new job training program will give some lucky Philadelphians the chance to land a possible dream job: a position at the famed Four Seasons Total Landscaping.The landscaping company made famous by will help train jobless residents for landscaping careers under a program launched with the nonprofits University City District and the Philadelphia Industrial Development Corp (PIDC). Four Seasons plans to eventually...WW…

Widespread remote work could not only reshape Philadelphia offices, but bring fewer commuters into the city, eating into a tax base that relies heavily on taxing workers’ wages.With coronavirus vaccines on the way, Day & Zimmerman is deciding which workers to bring back to the office as early as this summer.Fran Coady, head of human resources for the construction, manufacturing, and government services company, is exploring which jobs can be done well remotely, who wants to stay home, and whether the Philadelphia firm can cut costs by shrinking office space.Many of Day & Zimmerman’s...…Widespread remote work could not only reshape Philadelphia offices, but bring fewer commuters into the city, eating into a tax base that relies heavily on taxing workers’ wages.With coronavirus vaccines on the way, Day & Zimmerman is deciding which workers to bring back to the office as early as this summer.Fran Coady, head of human resources for the construction, manufacturing, and government services company, is exploring which jobs can be done well remotely, who wants to stay home, and whether the Philadelphia firm can cut costs by shrinking office space.Many of Day & Zimmerman’s...WW…

An Allentown resident wrote a computer program that badgers the agency’s chat bot until someone answers.Getting an answer from Pennsylvania’s unemployment office takes patience, persistence, and perhaps multiple phones calling at once.Some jobless workers said they’ve dialed the agency hundreds of times in a day to get beyond the busy signal. Emails can go unanswered for weeks. Some workers, desperate for financial help, said they start calling as soon as the office opens at 8 a.m. Others try to increase their chances of reaching someone by dialing on multiple phones at once.“You wait on...…An Allentown resident wrote a computer program that badgers the agency’s chat bot until someone answers.Getting an answer from Pennsylvania’s unemployment office takes patience, persistence, and perhaps multiple phones calling at once.Some jobless workers said they’ve dialed the agency hundreds of times in a day to get beyond the busy signal. Emails can go unanswered for weeks. Some workers, desperate for financial help, said they start calling as soon as the office opens at 8 a.m. Others try to increase their chances of reaching someone by dialing on multiple phones at once.“You wait on...WW…

Workers whose jobs can be done by machines suffered more layoffs per capita than those with jobs that aren't as easily automated. People of color have been especially harmed.Local leaders in business, tech, and workforce development have joined forces to “future proof” the Philadelphia region’s economy as automation and artificial intelligence threaten to wipe out thousands of jobs.The Future Works Alliance PHL plans to develop and recommend strategies to prepare the region for rapid changes brought by technology and accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. The nonprofit, founded in June,...…Workers whose jobs can be done by machines suffered more layoffs per capita than those with jobs that aren't as easily automated. People of color have been especially harmed.Local leaders in business, tech, and workforce development have joined forces to “future proof” the Philadelphia region’s economy as automation and artificial intelligence threaten to wipe out thousands of jobs.The Future Works Alliance PHL plans to develop and recommend strategies to prepare the region for rapid changes brought by technology and accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic. The nonprofit, founded in June,...WW…