First Niagara and NewAlliance are merging, a move that will possibly create branches and jobs in Pennsylvania.

First Niagara Financial Group Inc. and NewAlliance Bancshares shareholders approved the bank holding companies’ merger to create a regional financial institution with $29 billion in assets, $18 billion in deposits and 340 branches across Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts.

“We’re pleased by the overwhelming support of NewAlliance stockholders for our merger with First Niagara,” said NewAlliance Chairman, President and CEO Peyton Patterson. “This combination delivers significant value to our stockholders, creates an even stronger financial institution enhances our high quality service and product offerings for customers and increases the support of our communities in New England over the long term.”

The transaction is expected to close in April 2011, subject to regulatory approval.

For full details on First Niagara Finl Grp Inc New (FNFG) FNFG. First Niagara Finl Grp Inc New (FNFG) has Short Term PowerRatings at TradingMarkets. Details on First Niagara Finl Grp Inc New (FNFG) Short Term PowerRatings is available at This Link.

The new tax bill that has just been signed into law will help create jobs everywhere and will also improve hiring for jobs in Washington, D.C.

Iowa Congressman Tom Latham released the following statement after voting in favor of HR 4853, legislation to extend the current tax rates and fend off a major tax increase for all Americans beginning Jan. 1:

“The tax bill approved by the House of Representatives on Thursday makes sure that no American will face a tax hike on January 1. The economic condition of our country remains precarious, and allowing the current tax rates to expire and replacing them with a massive tax increase would be disastrous for families, employers and the national economy.

“This legislation lifts some of the uncertainty that is freezing our economy in place and dispels the doubt surrounding future tax liabilities for every American. It improves the ability of employers to plan ahead and start hiring again. Allowing the current tax rates to expire would bury middle-class families with a huge tax increase. This legislation, on the other hand, represents a critical step toward sustained job creation and a long-term economic recovery.” -30-

Merckle has announced it is seeking candidates for jobs in Maryland and other offices in the U.S.

Merkle www.merkleinc.com, the nation’s largest and fastest growing independent customer relationship marketing agency, today announced the hiring of Megan Pagliuca as a vice president in the display media division, a new position focused on establishing and executing targeted display advertising for Merkle’s growing client base. As a thought leader in the targeted display advertising marketplace, Pagliuca will help grow Merkle’s display business by leveraging Merkle’s deep analytic expertise and access to audience data to drive superior ad targeting, analysis and attribution.

Prior to joining Merkle, Pagliuca lead professional services at the Right Media Exchange, a New York-based Yahoo! Company that pioneered the digital advertising exchange model. While there, Pagliuca successfully grew its proprietary demand side platform by providing consulting to advertisers, agencies, media trading desks and publishers for their end-to-end technology infrastructure. Her deep understanding of the display ecosystem includes demand side platforms (dsps), data management platforms (dmps), supply side platforms (ssps), inventory and data exchanges, ad networks, creative optimizers, ad servers and verification providers. (more…)

Unicruit is partnering with universities to create jobs in Pennsylvania.

UBM Studios Unicruit today announced the Big East Virtual Career Fair (www.bigeastcareerfair.com) will bring together more than 40 industry leading employers and government agencies as well as students and alumni of 16 colleges and universities that represent the Big East Career Consortium. Participating schools include Cincinnati, Connecticut, DePaul, Georgetown, Louisville, Marquette, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Providence, Rutgers, St. John’s, Seton Hall, South Florida, Syracuse, Villanova, and West Virginia. The virtual career fair, which is free to attend for college students and alumni, will open on November 10, 2010 at 10 AM Eastern and will be available on demand until November 19th.
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UPS has announced they are hiring 50,000 people across the United States and more than 1,500 people for package handler jobs in Maryland.

The Atlanta-based shipping giant said that the upswing in hires is to prepare for the annual surge of packages that comes along with the holiday season, from November to January.

UPS has said that more than 1500 of those people will be hired in Maryland.

Most of the jobs will be driver helpers and other part-time opportunities. Package handlers and seasonal drivers are also in need.

Workers must work at least 20 hours a week to qualify for benefits. Starting pay is $8.50 per hour. Even after their gigs are over, workers may be eligible for full time, UPS spokespeople said.
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Home Depot, king of the home improvement projects, has announced they are hiring for warehouse jobs in Pennsylvania.

In Pittston, Pennsylvania, Home Depot has a giant warehouse that services Home Depot stores in several surrounding states. At the warehouse, Home Depot is looking to hire about forty people. Forty full-time and part-time positions are available.

The Pittston warehouse just opened in May and will be housing the forty or so warehouse persons.

Home Depot is holding a job fair Friday, October 1 and Saturday October 2. Those interested in applying are asked to register online before they can get an interview at the job fair. They are also asked to bring an ID and be prepared to answer questions from hiring managers on site.

The warehouse services 90 Home Depot stores in eastern Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

The Marcus Shale exploration in downtown Pittsburgh will address the status of jobs in Pennsylvania.

On Thursday, October 14, three keynote speakers will discuss the staffing challenges facing firms that are part of the Marcellus Shale exploration at an event in Downtown Pittsburgh. “Recruit and Hire a Safe and Productive Workforce” will take place at PNC Park’s Hall of Fame Club from 8:00 a.m to noon.

While many industries are struggling with job creation and high unemployment, companies involved with Marcellus Shale development find themselves with the opposite dilemma – high demand to fill a variety of jobs, but difficulty finding and identifying qualified people to hire for these positions. This situation is expected to continue, as exploration in the Marcellus region is expected to generate more than 200,000 new jobs by 2020.

Marcellus Shale, an extensive formation of shale found predominantly in New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia, contains significant and largely untapped natural gas reserves. Energy companies are not the only ones impacted by the hiring boom – many companies that support the exploration and drilling stand to prosper as well: engineering firms, trucking companies, equipment manufacturers, scientists – even restaurants and other hospitality services.

The event’s speakers will each focus on a different area:

Anne Naqi, Director of Human Resources Operations at EQT, will discuss recruiting issues and the specialized job roles that exist within Marcellus Shale activities. She will address the challenge of finding qualified candidates and will detail recruiting resources and techniques to help organizations find individuals to perform these often tough-to-fill roles.

Glenn Downer, Vice President of Behavioral Science Technology, Inc. (BST), will examine the importance of implementing a safety culture. He will detail the components of such a culture, how it supports employee retention and satisfaction, and how it fosters a sustainably safe workforce.

Kevin Klinvex, Executive Vice President and Co-founder of Select International, will offer best practices on how to identify and hire candidates who will successfully contribute to an organization. He will also address the legal defensibility of various hiring tools and processes, a segment that is sometimes overlooked.

“The Marcellus Shale exploration will provide great job growth for this area, at a time when it’s desperately needed,” said Klinvex. “But this growth needs to occur in a controlled, deliberate way. Companies need to be sure they’re hiring dependable, safe workers who will positively contribute to their organization for many years.”

Hilton Pittsburgh is continuing to hire for hotel jobs in Pennsylvania.

has continued its aggressive hiring efforts with several new additions to its sales force. The new team members include Senior Sales Managers Mike Claravall and Shelley Wood; and Marketing Manager Derek Scalzott.

“With the completion of our $30 million Phase One restoration, our growing sales force is essential to accommodate the pent up demand for all of the luxuries that Hilton Pittsburgh now offers,” said Tony Aslanian, Director of Sales and Marketing. “Our expanded sales and service team is dedicated to providing outstanding service for company meetings, special events, conventions and business travelers.”

Mike Claravall

A hotelier for nearly 20 years, Claravall is a Certified Hospitality Supervisor of the American Hotel and Motel Association and a member of the Society of Government Meeting Planners. Mike earned the Sales Person of the Year award in his most recent position at the venerable Seelbach Hilton in Louisville, Kentucky. Claravall earned his Hospitality Management Degree in the Philippines.

Shelley Wood

Wood is a familiar face within Pittsburgh’s convention and tourism community because she previously served as Senior Sales Manager at Hilton Pittsburgh for more than 14 years. A graduate of The Pennsylvania State University, Wood is a board member of Meeting Professionals International.

Derek Scalzott

Scalzott has previous guest services and special events management experience with SMG at Mellon Arena and Pittsburgh Public Theater. A Pittsburgh native, Scalzott is a graduate of California University of Pennsylvania.

“We are enthusiastic to enhance our sales team with these talented industry sales professionals. They will be genuine assets to Hilton Pittsburgh’s expanded sales and marketing efforts,” Aslanian said.

About Hilton Pittsburgh

Under the venerable Hilton flag for 50+ years, Hilton Pittsburgh is the city’s largest and most recognizable hotel. Adjacent to Point State Park, the property is conveniently located near Heinz Field, PNC Park, the Cultural District, and the Convention Center.

Hilton Pittsburgh recently renovated all 712-guest rooms to provide greater comfort, style and convenience for business and pleasure travelers. Each of those beautifully appointed accommodations features flat panel HDTV, Hilton’s Serenity Collection Bed and Bath amenities, and world renowned Lavazza® in-room coffee – all along with breathtaking views of the city’s skyscape or Three Rivers.

Hilton Pittsburgh currently features 40,000 square feet of flexible function space, including Pittsburgh’s largest hotel ballroom and a state-of-the-art Conference Center. The property employs almost 500 local residents and welcomes hundreds of conventions and special events each year.

Intersections Inc., a partner of major financial institutions in North America that provides custom identity management solutions, is currently hiring for call center jobs in Virginia.

A total of 250 jobs are being brought to the Altavista area.

Currently the company is offering approximately 125 open positions, including opportunities in administration, the call center, human resources, and information technology. Many start at $9 an hour.

Intersections is accepting applications online and through local career centers.

There is a somewhat lengthy application process. Applicants must fill out an application, pass a typing test, take a drug test, and pass a background check.

To apply in person, applicants can visit the following places:

Altavista
CVCC Altavista Center
701 5th St., Suite 100
Altavista, VA 24517
434-309-1225 ext. 102
Hours: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Mon. & Wed.; 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Tue. & Thurs.; 9 a.m. – Noon Friday.

Lynchburg
Region 2000 Career Center
The Plaza Lower Level
2323 Memorial Ave., Suite 25
Lynchburg, VA 24501
434-455-5940
Hours: 9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., M-Thur, and 9 a.m. – Noon on Friday.

Lynchburg VEC office
3125 Odd Fellows Rd.
Lynchburg, VA 24501
434-947-6671
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Danville
Virginia Workforce Center
211 Nor Dan Dr., Suite 1055
Danville, VA 24540
434-549-8220
Hours: 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. weekdays.

Apply online at the Campbell County Economic Development website under Job Opportunities, http://www.campbellvirginia.com/pages/ecodev.htm or by clicking on Careers at http://www.intersections.com/.

Middle River Aircraft Systems, a part of GE Aviation, today announced that it is expanding its employment by 200 new jobs in Maryland — bringing the Company’s employment at its Middle River facility to more than 1,000 over the next year.

According to a press release, in the last five years, GE has invested more than $200 million in the Middle River facility and new program investments. The 200 new jobs will support the development and manufacturing of the GEnx-2B engine thrust reverser for the Boeing 747-8 commercial aircraft.
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