Briefcase

Idaho job market tight

There are about 10,000 job openings in Idaho, including about 1,400 in the Panhandle, according to a state report released Tuesday. The number of job vacancies suggests a tight labor market, according to economists with the Idaho Department of Labor.

In the five northern counties, most of the openings were in food service, housekeeping and customer service.

The report is based on a survey of 3,100 businesses conducted in May and June. About a third of those businesses declared difficulties finding applicants with the right mix of education, experience and skills.

Across the state, according to the report, there were 1.7 vacant jobs for every 100 filled positions.

About 40 percent of the job vacancies were newly created jobs, and the report’s authors suggested employers have begun to expand payrolls.

John Stucke

Gold Reserve being dropped

The Toronto Stock Exchange on Wednesday informed Spokane-based Gold Reserve Inc. that it will drop the mining company, citing Venezuela’s expropriation of the company’s Brisas Project.

Trading in common shares on the exchange will continue for 30 days, during which time Gold Reserve can appeal the decision. If an appeal is unsuccessful, the company said it will seek a listing on an alternative Canadian exchange, such as the TSX Venture Exchange or the NEX. Gold Reserve remains listed on the NYSE-Amex.

The company is in international arbitration against the Venezuelan government over expropriation of its properties there, with a hearing scheduled for February 2012.

It acquired and began developing the Brisas gold and copper project in 1992 in southeastern Venezuela. It is one of the largest gold and copper deposits in the world, with ore reserves of 10.2 million ounces of gold and 1.4 billion pounds of copper. Gold Reserve invested almost $300 million developing the project.

Staff report

Berkshire buying newspaper

OMAHA, Neb. – Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway said Wednesday that it is buying the Omaha World-Herald Co. and expanding the firm’s newspaper holdings despite Buffett’s misgivings about the industry.

Berkshire said that it had agreed to buy Buffett’s hometown newspaper. Terms of the deal, which must be approved by the Omaha World-Herald’s employee owners and other shareholders, weren’t disclosed.

The deal also includes daily newspapers the Omaha World-Herald owns in Iowa and Nebraska.

Associated Press