Here’s another positive statistic for those who believe the economy is not headed for another dip: Tacoma construction employment is up 3 percent in July over the same period in 2010.

Figures from Associated General Contractors place construction employment in the Tacoma area at 18,600, up 600 workers from last year.

Those positive numbers aren’t the rule across the state, however. Washington construction employment is down 1,900 jobs from last year to 145,500 construction workers. That’s a one percent decline.

The Seattle-Bellevue-Everett area is down by 1,500 jobs or two percent to 66,100 jobs. Olympia is off 3 percent …

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The Boeing Co. board of directors today announced formal approval of the re-engined 737 airliner to be called the 737-MAX with nearly 500 commitments from airline customers to buy the more efficient aircraft.

The company didn’t disclose the names of the five airlines making those commitments other than the previously announced commitment from American Airlines for 100 of the 737 New Engine Family aircraft.

Boeing said the majority of those commitments may be from foreign airlines.

Boeing is months behind rival Airbus in announcing a re-engined plane. Airbus has received more than 1,000 orders and commitments for its …

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SeaTac’s Alaska Airlines is increasing its service from two San Francisco Bay area cities to Kauai and Kona in Hawaii to daily service, the airline announced today.

The new daily service will begin on March 12. Alaska has been serving Lihue on Kauai with three flights a week from San Jose and four flights a week from Oakland. The airline now serves Kona on the island of Hawaii with four flights a week from San Jose and three flights weekly from Oakland.

“We are really excited to now offer daily service from San Jose and Oakland to three Hawaiian …

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At 76, surrounded by family, Gene Pankey died Aug. 22 in Hawaii.

Pankey was well known in Tacoma first for lending his name to Gene Pankey Motor Co., but more than that for his philanthropy. His 30 years as a member of the Clover Park Rotary Club led to the recognition of a Lifetime Achievement Award from Rotary International.

Pankey also served as a trustee of Tacoma Rescue Mission, and he was a founding director of Northwest Commercial Bank.

Among several offices he held, Pankey was a former president of the Washington State Independent Auto Dealers and former president of …

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No insurance allowed.

That’s just one of the ways Seattle-based Qliance Medical Management is trying to change the delivery – and costs – of medical care, and it’s bringing its 5-year-old approach to Tacoma this fall.

The company announced this morning it plans to open a clinic in October at 2420 S. Union Ave., Suite 100, near the MultiCare’s Allenmore Hospital and the Target shopping center. The new clinic in Tacoma will offer primary and preventive medical care on a flat-fee schedule, which ranges between $49 and $89 per month, depending on age.

Direct primary care practices are designed …

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As American students return to the classroom, here’s a look at how the numbers stack up. All figures are from the U.S. Census Bureau.
55.5 million: Projected number of students to be enrolled in the nation’s elementary through high schools this fall.
$7.4 billion: The amount of money spent at family clothing stores in August 2010.
$2.2 billion: Sales in bookstores in the same period.
28,178: Shoe stores in America in 2008.
77 million: Number of children and adults enrolled in school throughout the country in October 2009, from nursery school to college. That’s 27 …

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For job seekers, the numbers haven’t been this good since early in the Great Recession.

The state Employment Security Department reported today that in April, job vacancies in Washington reached their highest point in three years.

An estimated 60,087 vacant jobs were available, the agency said. This represents an increase of 55 percent from a year earlier and nearly double the number that existed in spring 2009.

The last time the survey showed a larger number of vacancies was in spring 2008, when there were nearly 75,000 job vacancies.

“In order for unemployment to come down, we need more …

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A customer whose identity wasn’t disclosed has cancelled orders for six Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the weekly Boeing order tally shows.

That cancelation brings orders for the two-engine, twin-aisle plane down to 821. That order list for the oft-delayed Dreamliner is down by 26 aircraft this year. Boeing never reveals the identity of customers who cancel orders.

Boeing expects to get the Federal Aviation Administration certification for the plane Friday. It has scheduled its first delivery to launch customer All Nippon Airways in early September. The first 787 was to be delivered to All Nippon in May 2008. Technical, parts …

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