Kootenai County’s ‘07 jobless rate a record

Kootenai County’s unemployment rate averaged 3 percent in 2007 – the lowest rate on record.

Other North Idaho counties also had strong performances. Bonner County’s unemployment rate averaged 3.3 percent last year. Shoshone County was at 5 percent; Benewah, 5.1 percent; and Boundary, 5.4 percent.

Statewide, Idaho’s unemployment averaged 3 percent last year.

Idaho’s rate remained substantially below what many economists consider full employment and two full percentage points below the national jobless rate of 5 percent. But the trend over the final quarter of 2007 showed a definite slowdown in the Idaho economy with the unemployment rate expected to hover at 3 percent or rise during the early part of 2008.

– Becky Kramer

WASHINGTON

In U.S., unemployment reaches two-year high

Hiring practically stalled in December, driving the nation’s unemployment rate up to a two-year high of 5 percent and fanning fears of a recession.

Employers last month added the fewest new jobs to their payrolls in more than four years, according to the employment report released Friday by the Labor Department. The report showed that employment conditions are deteriorating, strained by a housing slump and credit crunch that are sapping economic strength.

The unemployment rate jumped from 4.7 percent in November to 5 percent in December, the highest since November 2005 after the Gulf Coast hurricanes dealt the country a mighty blow. Total payrolls – both private employers and government – grew by just 18,000 last month, the worst showing since August 2003, when the economy suffered job losses as it struggled to recover from the 2001 recession.

– Associated Press

SEATTLE

Microsoft gives game to Xbox 360 owners

Microsoft Corp. said Friday it will give Xbox 360 owners a free video game to make up for poor performance over the holidays by the system’s online hub.

Gamers log on to the Xbox Live Web site to buy games, television shows and movies to load onto their consoles, and interact with other players.

Video game blogs such as Joystiq recently reported that users had a slew of problems with the site over the holidays, including trouble signing in, downloading media and getting matched with online opponents.

“We are disappointed in our performance,” wrote Marc Whitten, general manager of Xbox Live, on the Xbox 360 support Web site.

Whitten said record-breaking traffic and new-member sign-ups caused the “intermittent Xbox Live issues.”

Whitten said the company will give a free game from the Xbox Live Arcade, but did not say which titles will be chosen, or when.

– Associated Press

COLUMBIA, S.C.

Company settles over tainted pet food

A company that made contaminated pet food that killed dozens of dogs nationwide will pay $3.1 million in a settlement with pet owners, an attorney said Friday.

The pet food, which contained a mold called aflatoxin, was produced at Diamond Pet Foods’ plant in South Carolina. The company will set up a fund to reimburse pet owners for the loss of their dog, veterinarian bills and the cost of any unreturned contaminated food, said attorney Jim Andrews, who represented a Knoxville, Tenn., family that sued the company.

Diamond Pet Foods, based in Meta, Mo., acknowledged that workers at its Gaston, S.C., plant failed to follow internal testing procedures to ensure its products were safe.

The company contends it did nothing illegal, according to the settlement.

The contaminated pet food was sold in 23 states. Diamond recalled about 20 varieties of dog and cat food when a New York veterinarian said in December 2005 that she had linked a dog’s death to the company’s food. An estimated 350,000 bags of dog food were recalled, according to the settlement.

– Associated Press