TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

BIZ BITS

ADVERTISEMENT

The Tampa Tribune

Published: May 22, 2009

Whataburger closing 14 locations

The San Antonio-based Whataburger company will close all five Tampa area locations because a turnaround effort was not successful in Florida, company officials said.

All 14 Whataburgers in Florida will close. Whataburger has locations in Palm Harbor, New Port Richey, Zephyrhills, Tampa and Largo employing about 130 people. They will close at 3 p.m. May 31.

Jobless claims fall slightly

The number of newly laid-off workers requesting unemployment insurance dropped slightly last week after spiking due to auto layoffs, while continuing jobless claims moved closer to 7 million.

The Labor Department said Thursday that initial claims for jobless benefits fell to a seasonally adjusted 631,000, down from a revised figure of 643,000 the previous week. That nearly matched analysts' expectations of 630,000 new claims.

Economic forecast brightens a bit

A private research's group forecast of economic activity rose more than expected in April, the first gain in seven months.

The Conference Board says its index of leading economic indicators, designed to forecast economic activity in the next three to six months, rose 1 percent last month. Economists surveyed by Thomson Reuters expected a 0.8 percent increase.

GMAC may get more money

The government is close to providing auto lender GMAC with billions of dollars in fresh aid, according to people with familiar with the matter.

The cash infusion is intended to help the company make loans for General Motors Corp. and Chrysler LLC vehicles. The move would come after GMAC failed a bank "stress test," with the Treasury mandating the company raise $11.5 billion in six months.

AIG chairman plans to step down

American International Group Inc. says its chairman and chief executive plans to step down when a search for replacements is complete.

The company also says its board agrees with a recommendation from Edward M. Liddy, who took over the troubled insurer in September, to separate the chairman and CEO roles.

GPS signals could fade, report says

A government report says the accuracy of GPS signals could deteriorate in the next few years because of delays in satellite launches, but the Air Force says it has plenty of ways of keeping up the navigation system increasingly relied on by drivers and cell phone users.

The next generation of GPS satellites, dubbed IIF, has been beset by launch delays and budget overruns.

A wire report

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT