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E-mail StoryBusiness roundup: Unemployment down, PC Club to reopen and more
| Friday, May 16 2008 3:29 PM
Last Updated: Monday, May 19 2008 8:59 AM
Kern County’s unemployment rate was 9.7 percent in April, down from 10.8 percent in March but higher than the 8.4 percent rate for the same period last year, the California Employment Development Department reported Friday.
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There were 357,100 people in Kern County’s labor force last month. Of those, 322,600 were working and 34,500 were unemployed.
California’s April unemployment rate was 6.1 percent, compared to 4.8 percent nationally.
Compared to this time last year, all but three industry sectors gained workers. The construction industry lost 1,100 people, leisure and hospitality lost 500 people and finance lost 200 people.
Statewide, the number of Californians holding jobs in April — just under 17.25 million — increased by 53,000 from March while the unemployment rate remained unchanged.
PC CLUB TO REOPEN
The PC Club, a computer repair shop at 2728 Ming Ave. that shut down earlier this week, is expected to reopen soon, following the City of Industry-based chain’s acquisition Thursday by a Los Angeles-based venture capital firm.
NAOC Holdings announced its purchase Friday, declining to disclose the deal’s financial terms.
PC Club operated stores across the Western United States before filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation proceedings.
A written statement by NAOC said that the acquisition allows the company to honor all the computer chain’s customer and vendor relationships and agreements.
WOMEN'S HEALTH CENTER MOVES TO LARGER SPOT
Advanced Women’s Health Center is consolidating the separate locations for its medical and cosmetic services into one larger facility at 8501 Brimhall Road, and will hold a ribbon cutting and open house 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. May 22 to celebrate.
The open house features hors d'oeuvres, prizes, giveaways, live entertainment and more.
In addition to offering traditional OB/GYN services, the clinic will provide acupuncture, Botox injections, laser skin treatments and Smart Lipo, and plans to add chiropractic care soon.
The center previously provided medical care on Commerce Drive and cosmetic procedures at La Dolce Vita Salon on 19th Street. Now both will be provided under the same roof with more than quadruple the space at just under 10,000 square feet.
Advanced Women’s Health Center has two physicians and one physician assistant, and a third doctor will join the group this summer.
DISTRIBUTION CENTERS TO CLOSE
About 30 Bakersfield and Merced workers will be laid off when San Francisco-based Building Materials Holding Corp. closes distribution facilities in the two cities, according to a Friday news release from the company.
The publicly-traded building supply company will shut both operations within 60 days, according to the release.
A weak housing market in California and the Central Valley is to blame for the closures, the release states.