Neil Irwin and Dina ElBoghdady of the Washington Post write -”Americans’ incomes and spending levels rose in November, while new-home sales dropped, according to data released Wednesday that suggest the economy has continued a steady but unspectacular expansion as the end of the year approaches.

Personal income rose 0.4 percent, the fifth straight month of increase, and consumer spending rose 0.5 percent, the Commerce Department said. Those numbers were lower than expected, but nonetheless suggest that Americans were becoming more confident about spending money as the holiday season began.”

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Dana Hedgpeth of the Washington Post writes -”The weak dollar has made it easier for U.S. manufacturers of parts for appliances, automobiles and other equipment to compete globally on price and is helping them win back business lost to overseas competitors, a shift that economists say should help the country’s economic recovery.

Last year, as the financial crisis hit a crescendo, investors poured money into U.S. Treasury securities, long considered one of the safest places to invest. That caused the dollar’s value to skyrocket, putting U.S. companies with heavy export businesses at a pricing disadvantage compared with competitors abroad.

More recently, as the global economy has shown signs of a turnaround, investors have been spreading their risks and putting money into stocks and bonds around the world. That strategy has pushed the value of the dollar back down and has helped U.S. manufacturers compete with producers in Asia and Europe.”

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Jeff Aaron writes on today’s Stargazette.com -”Corning Inc.’s strong balance sheet and the ongoing recovery of the LCD supply chain are allowing the company to withstand the nagging effects of the national recession, the company’s top executive said Thursday.

Corning CEO and Chairman Wendell Weeks, while addressing the Corning Rotary, also said that while the Twin Tiers’ largest employer is on pace to surpass its revenue goals for 2009, overall results remain down year-over-year and the company still faces economic uncertainty.”

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Business Council member Travelers has been named a top Military Friendly Employer by G.I. Jobs magazine.

Ranked 28 out of 100 companies, Travelers was selected for the list out of a pool of 5,000 eligible companies (minimum of $500 million annual revenues). Criteria for the rankings include assets dedicated to military hiring, Reserve/Guard policies, percentage of veteran new hires, veteran training programs and the company’s previous three years’ rankings. The Top Military Friendly Employers List will appear in the December issue of G.I. Jobs.

“We find the skills, technical knowledge, and values that individuals possess in the armed services are very applicable to the Travelers environment,” said Doreen Spadorcia, Travelers Executive Vice President & CEO of Personal Insurance and Claim Services. “Transitioning military personnel bring qualities of dedication and discipline to their roles, and we value that they readily seek and accept responsibility and challenging work.”

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Chris Mckenna of the Middletown Times Herald-Record writes - “Some 27,000 military veterans living in Orange County can now claim discounts of up to 25 percent at certain local businesses through a new program announced Tuesday.

About 150 companies have agreed to participate so far, entitling vets to a price break on everything from pizzas and bagels to lumber and auto repairs whenever they present a county-issued identification card.

The first beneficiaries got their IDs in a matter of minutes Tuesday morning, lining up inside the Orange County Government Center to have their photos taken and cards made before a news conference heralding the program.”

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The Buffalo News reports _ “National auto insurer GEICO Corp. will be adding about 300 jobs to its Amherst service center, boosting employment to about 1,800, sources confirmed Tuesday.

Gov. David A. Paterson is expected to make the formal announcement at 11 a.m. today at the CrossPoint Business Park facility.

The Washington, D.C.-based carrier, the nation’s fourth largest private-passenger car insurer, will move a home insurance agency subsidiary to Amherst. The jobs are expected to be filled during the next two years.”

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The University at Buffalo is launching a new department of biomedical engineering to address pressing regional needs. The program is a joint venture between UB School of Medicine and Biomedical Science and UB School of Engineering. Student enrollment begins this fall.

“The department was developed based on the advancing necessity and interest in research in the biomedical and biotechnology fields, UB’s already accomplished strengths in that area of study and the sector’s strong presence in Western New York. It was a natural step for us” describes Alexander Cartwright, Professor and Chair of the Department at the University at Buffalo. “[This program] will concentrate on America’s critical healthcare needs and issues by developing innovative strategies and research initiatives involving new medical products and product improvements.”

The department and local biomedical and bioscience companies have worked closely together in developing the program, and both parties plan to expand these relationships. Companies will have the opportunity to provide input on curriculum, influence research priorities, and offer students the opportunity to contribute to the development of new products and product improvements. “Through partnerships with local biomedical and biotechnology companies, the program will receive input from experts in the industry that will enable the department to successfully address important issues that face our nation today,” said Cartwright.

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Governor David A. Paterson, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver and Assemblywoman RoAnn M. Destito today announced a partnership between the State University of New York Institute of Technology (SUNYIT) and the University at Albany’s College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering (CNSE) to create the Computer Chip Hybrid Integration Partnership (CHIP). The new collaboration will create as many as 675 new positions in the Mohawk Valley and Capital Regions combined, while expanding the nanotechnology sector in New York and strengthening the State’s commitment to the New Economy.

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The Journal News in Westchester reports that Business Council member IBM is, “easily beating the competition in building supercomputers that not only perform complicated calculations at breathtaking speed but make energy efficiency a top priority, according to a new report.”

Read reporter Jay Loomis’ story here.

Albany’s Times-Union reports that Business Council of New York State member, Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics will move its Green Glue unit from North Dakota to its plant in Granville, Washington County, New York.

The move will result in an expansion of the Granville plant and the addition of seven jobs.

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