On Friday, the White House released estimates that $160 billion in stimulus spending created or preserved 650,000 direct jobs. The stimulus program awarded $3.8 billion to South Carolina, and $702 million have been received, according to recovery.gov. These funds have created or saved 8,147 jobs as of Oct. 30, and these jobs are quite welcome given the state of our state.

At a ceremony attended by Mr. Mark Sanford, AvCraft Support Services and Indaer today announced a joint venture to provide seamless regional aircraft heavy maintenance to customers throughout the Americas, creating up to 50 new jobs over the next three years.

Boeing’s decision to land a new aircraft assembly plant in South Carolina should mean thousands of jobs beyond the plant’s walls.

Close to fifty people showed up at a seminar for Disadvantaged Business Enterprises Thursday night.

South Carolina’s new jobless numbers came out Wednesday and they weren’t all that good. The employment security commission said that the state had an unemployment rate of 11.6%; that’s up slightly from August which was 11.4%.

Some students with Coastal Carolina University said they hope a career in sports could help boost the Grand Strand’s sports tourism. They attended a career fair on how to do just that on Wednesday.

State lawmakers will return to Columbia next week to vote on extending already extended unemployment benefits to thousands of out of work residents.

Florence County Council is scheduled to vote Thursday on incentive and lease agreements for a North Carolina-based advanced-materials company looking to create about 120 jobs in Lake City.

According to the SC Employment Security Commission, the most recent statistics show Marion County’s unemployment rate at 20.9% in August. This is down slightly from July’s rate, of 21.2%.

Softee Supreme Diaper Corp. is making a $6 million investment expected to create 262 jobs in Marion County during the next four years.

South Carolina’s unemployment rate dropped for the second month in a row in August, decreasing to 11.5 percent.

Labor Day weekend marks the end of the tourism season for many businesses along the Grand Strand.

The Chesterfield County Economic Development Board says that Nestlé Waters North America Inc. is considering sites in Chesterfield County for a potential spring water source and bottling facility for its Deer Park Spring Water brand of bottled water.  The company is also reviewing sites in other states in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Musashi South Carolina Inc. in Bennettsville will close its doors for good by the end of the year, leaving more than 150 people out of work.

The South Carolina Employment Security Commission, in cooperation with Rep. Robert Williams and other area legislators, will hold a job fair Saturday, to help Pee Dee area workers find work.