Jobless rate hit 11.1% in January

(News & Observer, Raleigh)

North Carolina's unemployment rate, fueled by the recession, hit 11.1% in January, a historic high, according to the Employment Security Commission. Before this recession, the state's peak employment rate was 9.7% in March 1983.

Siemens Energy to expand in Charlotte

(The Charlotte Observer)

Siemens Energy plans a major expansion in Charlotte that could bring as many as 650 jobs to the Queen City. The German company will expand its factory for turbines and generators and move part of its Canadian operations.

Salisbury furniture plant to close

(The Salisbury Post)

HNI Corp. will close its Maxon Furniture factory in Salisbury by the end of the year, putting 132 out of work. The layoffs will begin in May. The company says sales of its office furniture are down more than 35%.

Heart procedure ordered too often, Duke researchers say

(News & Observer, Raleigh)

Researchers at Duke University Medical Center say thousands of patients undergo heart catheterizations without having blockages that warrant the test. Their study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that up to 60% of patients without a history of heart disease don't have clogs when they get the risky, expensive procedure.

N.C. foreclosure filings up 54% in February

(Winston-Salem Journal)

Foreclosure filings in North Carolina increased 54% in February compared with the same month of 2009, according to RealtyTrac. The number of filings was down about 1% from January.