LABOR BUREAU: SOLAR, WIND JOBS TO BOOM

WASHINGTON» President Donald Trump pledges to revive the nation’s struggling coal mines, but new data from the federal agency that tracks employment growth suggests blue-collar job seekers would do better to look to clean energy.

According to projections released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the top-growing job classification over the next nine years will be solar photovoltaic installers. Those positions are expected to double, from 11,300 in 2016 to 23,200 by 2026. Wind turbine service technicians came in at No. 2. Those jobs were projected to grow by more than 96 percent, from 5,800 to 11,300.

Southwest profit up 30 percent.

Southwest Airlines overcame hurricanes, higher fuel prices and slightly lower fares to boost third-quarter profit 30 percent. and the nation’s No. 4 carrier by traffic said it sees a “solid” fourth-quarter travel demand as ticket pricing has firmed in October from the prior two months.

Amazon beats expectations.

Amazon posted third-quarter earnings that far surpassed Wall Street expectations, helped by the acquisition of organic grocer Whole Foods and an increase in sales during its summer “Prime Day” promotions. The company’s shares soared 8 percent in extended trading after releasing the results.

Comcast struggles.

Comcast’s video upswing could be sputtering out. The cable company added TV customers last year for the first time in a decade. But on Thursday it posted its biggest quarterly cable-customer loss since 2014.

UPS predicts record holiday.

UPS expects another record holiday season, with deliveries up 5 percent over last year, as online shopping continues to grow. The company said Thursday that it expects to deliver more than 750 million packages between Thanksgiving and Dec. 31. — The Associated Press