Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 19

CHECKOUT Iva P'f Gray Thursday Some people can't wait until Black Friday to get their Christmas shopping under wayFriday this section? Contact Business Editor Scott Perry at 421-7976 Oct 2011 Oct 2010 Christian County 9.6 percent 9.6 percent Coles County 8.7 percent 8.6 percent DeWitt County 8.2 percent 7.9 percent Douglas County 8.2 percent 8.6 percent Effingham County 7.1 percent 7.5 percent Fayette County 9.6 percent 10.1 percent Logan County 8.6 percent 8.6 percent Macon County 10.3 percent 10.4 percent Moultrie County 7.3 percent 7.6 percent Piatt County 7.8 percent 6.5 percent Shelby County 9.4 percent 9.5 percent Questions or comments regarding Drop in outdoor work increased numbers recently By CHRIS LUSVARDI Staff Writer DECATUR The Decatur-area unemployment rate for October showed little change from last year as it remained in double digits. The unemployment rate in October was 10.3 percent, compared with 10.4 percent in October 2010, according to Illinois Department of Employment Security statistics released Wednesday. It was the same as the rate in September. The rate has now fallen in 16 consecutive months. The last time the October rate was equal to or lower was in 2008 when it was 7.1 percent.

"It's definitely headed in the right Ron analyst lower, down." The above three year, was in May Payne By jobs said. started Payne to later "We up more Payne what Several have direction," said Payne, a labor market with the department. "We'd like to see it but it's trending rate has remained 10 percent since dipping below that mark in months earlier this Payne said. The rate single digits in April, and June, a time when said outdoor and construction jobs usually start. October, those types of begin to drop off, Payne Seasonal retail hiring in October, but expects those numbers be better reflected in data.

start to see that show in November," said. "It tends to offset we lose with outdoor jobs." area retailers reported making numerous seasonal hires this year, although projections show the overall number being similar to last year. The manufacturing sector was among the hardest hit during the recession, but Payne said local manufacturers continue showing signs of improvement. Manufacturing was among the sectors with reported increases over the year. Other sectors with an increased number of jobs included government, construction, transportation warehousing and leisure and hospitality.

The largest decline was reported in professional-business services, while other major industry sectors were little changed EVERYTHING fJil: STORE lit i if a fn i-- Compiled from staff and news service reports Long-awaited retirement A suburban Chicago man has decided it's time to retire from the job he's held for decades now that he's 102. WLS-TV reports that Max Fabian of Niles is leaving AZ Industries. He's been working for the family that owns the Northbrook company for four generations. Before that, Fabian worked as a Chicago police officer and served in the military. On Tuesday, Fabian's employer threw him a big party to celebrate his years of dedication.

Fabian thanked his bosses and said: "In my heart, I feel this is the beginning of a good ending." Fabian had various duties at AZ Industries, included making bank deposits, delivering mail and watching over the warehouse. Historic calculations A checklist upon which Apollo 13 commander James Lovell made calculations that helped guide the damaged spacecraft home in 1970 will be auctioned Wednesday. A statement from Dallas-based Heritage Auctions said the item is part of a batch of U.S. space program artifacts being offered as part of a "Space Signature Auction." Lovell used the checklist to move guidance data from the stricken CommandService Module to the guidance system of the Lunar Excursion Module. The aim was to use the usually discarded lunar module's system to pilot the command module back to earth after it was crippled by a fuel cell explosion.

The Heritage statement said the checklist, now owned by Lovell, was expected to bring a winning bid exceeding $25,000. Profits and growth Deere Co. said strong sales of its farm equipment helped boost its fourth-auar- ter profit by cent and said it expects robust demand will lead to further growth next year. The quarterly results beat Wall Street expectations, and Deere shares rose more than 3 percent in afternoon trading. The Moline company said Wednesday that equipment sales were up 20 percent in the quarter.

That included 14 percent sales growth in the United States and Canada, and 31 percent growth in the rest of the world outside those two countries. The sales growth helped Deere generate net income of $670 million, or $1 .62 per share, for the three months ended Oct. 31, up from $457 million, or $1.07 per share, a year ago. Mixed news At the start of the critical holiday shopping season, the economy received a dose of mixed news Wednesday. Consumers barely increased their spending in October, and businesses pulled back on investment in long-lasting manufactured goods.

Still, Americans' pay rose by the most in seven months, a sign they may spend more in coming weeks. Unemployment up slightly The number of people seeking unemployment benefits ticked up slightly last week after two months of steady declines. But the increase isn't enough to reverse the downward trend. The four-week average of applications, a less volatile measure, fell to its lowest level since April. The decline in the average signals that companies are laying off fewer workers.

Weekly applications for unemployment aid rose 2,000 to a seasonally adjusted 393,000, the Labor Department said Wednesday. It's only the second increase in six weeks. Salvation Army bell ringer Nina Kelly holds the door open for a shopper at The at her kettle stand on Chicago's Magnificent Mile. Retailers are entering crunch Black Friday. CRUNCH TIME among the shoppers.

But as the day goes on, they become aggressive, mainly in the checkout lines," Simpson said. Fortunately, most of this research has concentrated on retailers large and small in the Midwest, ranging from towns as a small as Mattoon and Tuscola to huge cities such as Chicago and St. Louis. That means the aggression has not become too physical between the shoppers as in other regions of the country, Simpson said. "We've heard of some shoppers getting hurt in some areas of the country.

But we're not seeing that in the Midwest. The most aggression our observers recorded with shoppers was irritation with employees if they were not well trained. There was some cart bumping and some cursing in the checkout lines, too." Crossing the line of tolerance for any Black Friday shopper is when they believe another shopper is cut over the year. Unemployment rates across the state varied as it dropped in five metro areas, increased in four and was essentially unchanged in three others compared to last year. Payne said the variation is a sign of the uneven recovery from the recession.

"Year-over-year job growth is encouraging, especially given the challenging pace of this national recovery," said Jay Rowell, Department of Employment Security director. "Illinois followed the country into this recession, and if history holds true, Illinois' recovery will follow the national recovery, as well." The Illinois rate was 9.5 percent in October, while the national rate was 8.5 percent. Wall Street responds to Europe's crisis The Associated Press Fear that Europe's debt crisis is infecting Germany, the strongest economy in the region, sent stocks reeling Wednesday. The Dow Jones industrial average dropped 236 points, leaving it down 4.6 percent over the past three days. The Standard Poor's 500 index fell for the sixth day in a row, its worst losing streak since August.

Traders were spooked by the poor results at an auction of German debt, which drew too few bids to sell all of the 10-year notes being offered. Germany has Europe's strongest economy, and traders have bought its debt as a safe place to store value during turbulent times. The weak buying suggests that Europe's crisis might be infecting strong nations that are crucial to keeping the euro currency afloat. ucts as they could," Simpson said. The majority of the reports at that moment was "total chaos." Individual shoppers can tend to go wild, grabbing products from different aisles, while teams of shoppers, relatives or neighbors, are price checking before filling the cart, Simpson said.

Black Friday stories from her students in a consumer education class inspired Simpson to start this research project. It started in 2006 and will now concentrate on Black Friday shopping rituals. Simpson and her colleagues have gained national attention with the research, including a recent article in The Washington Post. The hope is their research might help make Black Friday more customer friendly in the future. "I guess we've made the big time," she said with a laugh.

238-6869 I Chicago (AP) Futures tradtfig on the Chicago Board of Trade: Open High Low Settle Chg. WHEAT 5,000 bu minimum- cents per bushel Dec 11 S85V4 595' 577'A 579V4-149 Mar 12 596 606V2 588 594' -83 May 12 613V2 622' 6OSV4 612-6' Jul 12 627 636 619'A 625' -10 Sep 12 6454l 649' 640 645V4 -9' Dee 12 6664 874VZ 669 V2 664 -94 Mar 13 681V2 691 'A 680 6804t-16V2 Tue's sales 86,892 Tue's open bit 403.472, up 1014 CORN 5,000 bu minimum- cents per bushel Dec 11 588 601 'A 584' 588-IOV. Mar 12 595V 608 591 5eSV2-10Vi May 12 604' 614 597 602V -9 Jul 12 607V2 617 601VJ 605 -10 Sep 12 566 572V2 559 565 -4 Dec 12 543 S6IV2 537 S42V -6 Mar13 553' 566 560' 5S4' -7 Tue's sales 367,756 Tue's open 1,298.708, down -2O066 OATS 5,000 bu minimum- cents per bushel Dec 11 291 302 288 292V5 -11 Mar 12 287 293V2 2S4 287 -7Vj CATTLE May 12 295 295 290 Jul 12 299 300' 296' Sep 12 309' 309V5 303 292 -6' 297 -6V2 303 -6V2 312 -6V4 323 -6V2 Dec 12 318 318 Mar 13 329V2 329V2 Tue's salee 312 323 1,866 87 ,2 88 05 23 90.55 91.45 .35 nn 00 nq Art en Tue's open tnt 16,778. down SOYBEANS 5,000 bu minimum- cents per bushel Jan12 11221 11S8VJ 1120VS 1122Va-30V5 Mar12 1131VS 1167V4 1130 1131V4-31V4 May 12 1140' 1175 1138 1140'-31 Jul 12 11S8V1 1185'A 1146 1148VH-32V! 1156V4 1163 1147V4 11471-32 Sep 12 1140VS 1175 1140" 1141-31V Nov12 1147V! 1173 1136VJ 1138V-30V Tue's salee 144.991 Tue's open Int 522,810, down -174 98.40 99.30 w.bs vhm mM 9865 -4T 96 87 97-32 --50 28,527 253,609, up14S5 astern professor studies consumer behavior on Black Friday Associated Press Gap store as she receives donations time again with an early arrival of ting ahead in line, whether before the store opens, in the checkout or for coupon handouts. "People cutting in line is not acceptable based on our research," Simpson said.

But those lines are not full of strangers. Observers, whether college undergraduates or graduate students, have recorded some bonding between the shoppers, especially when they are waiting outside for the countdown for stores to open for Black Friday or late on Thanksgiving night in some cases. "They will be talking about their families and getting very friendly," Simpson said. Then chaos takes over when the store doors open, producing some research narratives that read like the plot line for a Looney Tunes cartoon. "The most common behavior the observers recorded for customers was walking hurriedly, running, yelling and grabbing as many prod People sociable as day starts, but get aggessive By HERB MEEKER Staff Writer CHARLESTON Eastern Illinois University professor Linda Simpson knows how naughty or nice Black Friday shoppers can be.

For the last five years, Simpson and her colleagues Kathleen O'Rourke, Lisa Taylor, Katie Shaw, Deborah Reifstack, and Jill Bowers in Eastern's School of Family and Consumer Sciences have worked with many student observers to record shopper behavior ranging from the chaotic rush through the store doors long before dawn to those trading paint moments with shopping carts in the checkout lines. "One of the interesting things we've found is when the day starts there is excitement and socialization DOW (Industrials) Grain markets Chicago (AP) Futures trading on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange: Decatur area pricMsuppM Open High Low Settle Chg. by ADM GnMvmanVTabor Co. CATTLE Com 40,000 cents per lb. Beans 118 Dec 11 121.32 122.20 120.05 121.40 Feb 12 122.80 123.75 121.90 122.75 Apr 12 126.50 127.40 125.47 126.35 Pncee supplied by USDA Jun)2 126 05 t26 0J ,24 3,, 8o-i .35 Eastern Cornbelt Negotiated Price Aog12 125.27 125.95 124.90 125.85 $78.10 to $82.50 Oct 12 128.00 126.40 127.80 128.05 Weighted Average $79.09 Dec 12 128.50 128.80 127.95 128.45 Tin's eelae 37.952 Cattle Chg.

FEEDER l-mnitrirraf-mrrTlli-i mlHiTirir HiI' iiiih in twl 52-wk 52-wk 52-wk Hi Lo Name Last Chg. Hi Lo Name Last Chg. Hi Lo Name Last Chg. 6.89 1.62 AMR 1.61 57.79 37.31 CrackerB 44.25 3.47 .56 LeoEnth .63 31.94 27.20 Inc 27.55 5238 33.23 Crane 43.52 32.68 13.75 UncNat 17.63 55.61 45.07 AbtLab 52.35 99.80 59.92 Deere 74.72 2.80 27.45 18.07 Lowes 22.48 8.07 3.54 Aegon 3.74 60.11 35.20 DineEquity 42.81 95.45 72.14 McOnkh 91.67 74.25 56.00 Airgas 69.97 44.34 28.19 Disney 33.40 37 65 29.47 Men 33.19 6.63 1.56 AlcafcHLuc 1.48 21.34 12.90 OonHeyRR 13.60 29.46 23.65 Microsoft 24.47 34.40 22.27 Alstate 24.50 42.23 20.61 rjowChm 24.60 3m 13 03 49 28.14 23.20 AKna 27.12 57.00 37.10 DuPont 44.08 4 80 94 MueteiWat 2.05 -11 33.49 25.55 Amen 31.38 ,41 6.92 2.35 Dyneo, 229-11 79.40 5757 NonlVSo 70.35 -U0 426.70305.87Apple he 366.99 73.10 39.53 EQTCocp 55.80 97 81 66 43 PPG 79 57 -1 70 38.02 23.69 AnDan 27.79 4ftS4 27.22 EnPro 31.77,81 1JM a44 15.60 8.75 AsscdBanc 9.69 ,46 .45 39.05 Exelon 41.89 ,66 7, 341.89246.26AUtoZone 318 06 883 67.03 BoonMbl 74.58 21 45 ,6 25pfa( ncn nnnDsif men in 6053 41.31 FamilyDIr 55.90 49.50 33.62 BP PLC 39.68 73.46 55.85 PhiipMor 71.02 cn jimD 41.65 25.92 Fastenals 38.63 ,76 62.50 48.03 Baxter ,86 3, 67.72 57.56 Procfcan, 61.06 ,63 45.63 21.79 6 25.71 ,47 19.74 10.68 Radk 10.75 ,29 464.77279.868 320.22-11.30 73 26 8.09 2.82 RegtonsFn 3.68 ,22 36.98 27.41 BobEvans 30.72 ,64 12.97 7.67 Saks 8.55 ,28 29.68 15.99 CBS 23.44 ,62 8 8J 8 53 Goodyear ,2 01 94.79 51.14 SearcHldgs 59.15 31.00 5.59 CPI 5.81 OS 49.39 2, 50 25.7, ,97 95.71 71.50 Stericyde 76.49 ,84 27.06 17.69 CSX 20.23 ,71 39.39 28.13 HomeOp 36.52 ,58 96.19 68.63 3M Co 75.54 48.77 22.45 Cabot 30.01 ,09 33 25 95 29.33 W-77 21.95 ,82 52.87 35.39 Caseys 48.81 25.50 19.16 Intel 22.70 77.00 60.74 UPS 66.90 116.55 67.54 Caterpiar 87.76 -123 190.53141.28IBM 177:95 38.95 31.60 WenzonCm 35.35 ,84 110.01 80.41 Chevran 93.75 33.01 21.55 kitPap 25.58 52.67 35.13 VfecomB 41.76 51.50 21.40 CiSgrpfS 23.51 ,95 48.36 27.85 JPMotgCh 28.38 59.40 48.31 WalMart 56.64 ,21 71.77 61.29 CocaCola 64.87 58.00 42.14 Kohls 52.14 47.11 30.63 Wakjm 32.091.35 23.43 11.51 Coming 14.05 25.85 20.53 Kroger 21.82 92.28 47.20 Whrlpl 46.36 volume 1 op 236.17 50,000 per lb. 17.,7 Peona 0 na Jan 12 145.97 147.12 145.62 145.80-1.22 61 20 I JJW!" 1 "or '2 148 35 149.00 148.20 148.22 .2853 SLtejianlFlT 1 Ap', 149 50 150 00 149 22 149 22 ",73 May 12 149.85 150.40 149.45 149.47 Spot comnwdity prices: Aug 12 151.40 151.40 151.22 151.25 7nee Prev.

Year "7 Close Day Aoo 1515 151.55 151.30 151.30 Oct 12 151.50 151.50 151.50 151.50 -JO AluminumO.9339 0.9409 1.0207 Mtot 3 Copper 3.3555 3.3113 3 6957 ln. 32.50s 'down 117 Gold 1681.001699.001372 50 32.505. down -117 I Silver 31.840 32300 27.490 HOGS-Lean miiarimJ 40,000 cents per lb. Index Name Close Dow Jones Industrials NYSE Composite Amex Index NASD Composite Nasd Global Select 500 Wilshire 5000 Value Line Arithmetic Value Line Geometric 11257.55 6919.92 2119.30 2460.08 1148.29 1161.79 12200.48 2481.60 305.63 Key barometers in Bie Treasury Yield Federal Funds 3-month, bid 1-year tail 10-year rale 30-year bond 00-25 002 0.11 1.89 2.84 rt New in past 52 weeks, pf- 93152 New 52week high market 136111 67 95 88 15 Prev. F' LkLL-J.

Feb 12 91.47 91.67 an -rrc ni 00-25 Spot commodity pneas on me w-v 0 025 New Yoric Mefcanbie Exchange: May 12 99.00 99.30 r-t. Juniz iuo.zz iou.au 1 92 crude oil 96 Jul12 9e-90 9690 2.88 Gasoline 2.5177 ,0441 97 25 98 02 Natural gas 3.460 .045 Tue-sulee TueB open FOOTNOTES: -New 52-weelc (owl dd Loss in lasl 12 mos. Preferred SpSt or stock dwidenS 25 percenter more irt.