Denver – Colorado’s unemployment rate remained at 3.8 percent in August, unchanged from July, the state Department of Labor and Employment said Tuesday.
“Labor-market changes tended to be small and favorable for most areas throughout the state,” labor department director Don Mares said.
After seasonal adjustments, the number of working Coloradans was 2.6 million in August, down 17,300 from the month before. The number of Coloradans who looked but couldn’t find jobs was 102,500, down 300 from the month before.
A year ago, the state unemployment rate was 4.4 percent. Nationwide, the August 2007 unemployment rate was 4.6 percent.
Colorado’s trade, transportation and utilities segment had the biggest increase in total jobs in August, up 2,500.
Additional business news briefs:
KANSAS CITY, Kan.
Court orders Vonage to pay $69.5 million
Internet telephone company Vonage Holdings Corp. was ordered in federal court Tuesday to pay Sprint Nextel $69.5 million in damages for infringing on six telecommunications patents owned by competitor Sprint Nextel Corp.
Vonage shares plunged 66 cents, or more than 33 percent, to close at $1.30. Trading was temporarily halted after news of the verdict broke.
It was the second verdict against the Holmden, N.J.- based company this year. A jury in Virginia determined in March that Vonage had violated three Verizon patents in building its Internet phone system. The jury awarded Verizon $58 million in damages plus 5.5 percent royalties on future revenues.
Vonage will ask the court to throw out the patent-infringement verdict and, if unsuccessful, will appeal the ruling, the company said.
DENVER
2 insurance firms fined $200,000 each
Colorado Insurance Commissioner Marcy Morrison on Tuesday announced that Cig na and Connecticut General Life Insurance Co. have each paid a $200,000 fine for a number of violations uncovered during a state exam of company practices in 2005.
Both firms are wholly owned by Cigna Cos.
The violations included untimely payments of consumer claims, inappropriate denial of benefits and failure to comply with Colorado regulations. The fines were assessed last month.
FORT COLLINS
EnviroFit receives $25 million injection
The Shell Foundation has invested $25 million in EnviroFit International, a Colorado not-for-profit that develops technologies to reduce pollution and enhance energy efficiency in developing countries.
Established through the Colorado State University schools of engineering and business, the firm has also obtained nearly $2 million in funding from the Bohemian Foundation. It is working to design and distribute 10 million cook stoves.
BOULDER
Ball hits 2 milestones on Kepler spacecraft
Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp. said it has completed two important milestones on the Kepler space observatory, the precision coating process of the Kepler primary mirror and the integration of the detector array assembly.
Ball Aerospace is building the spacecraft for the Kepler mission to launch in February 2009.
ATLANTA
2 local firms unveil new jet, interior
At the National Business Aviation Association convention in Atlanta, Centennial Airport-based Adam Aircraft on Tuesday unveiled the new interior for its A700 very light jet, while Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. displayed its Next Generation PC-12, a single-engine turboprop.
Pilatus subsidiary Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd. is based at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport.
CALABASAS, Calif.
Countrywide to tell financing options
Over the next six weeks, Countrywide Home Loans Inc. is sending more than 7,000 home-loan consultants to residential open houses across the country to help homebuyers better understand financing options.
Countrywide’s sales team will join local real-estate agents to educate consumers about the basics of the real-estate market and give them the tools they need to shop for a home.
The consultants will offer mortgage options for specific open-house properties. It also will have tools on hand to provide qualified visitors with pre-approval on mortgages so they know how much they can afford.
