Business Glance

Somerton Business Expo set for Saturday

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona’s continued The Somerton Chamber commitment to public of Commerce is inviting health and will further residents to discover new support the state’s efforts business opportunities at in the fight against the opioid the seventh annual Somerton epidemic and substance Business Expo 2018 on use disorder.” Saturday. The chamber Mobilize AZ includes will host the event from more than a dozen strategies 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Cocopah tailored to patients, Casino River Room, doctors and the community, 15318 S. Avenue B. including a grant program

The free event is open to that will award a minimum the persons ages 21 and older. of $1 million each year for The public is invited to three years to community “come and enjoy what our organizations involved in business community offers education, treatment, and in the Yuma County area.” recovery.

For more information, Grant applications are contact Stephanie at contact@somertonchamber. now open and will be accepted on an ongoing basis com or 928-341-3557. through a formal requestfor-proposal process.

Additionally, BCBSAZ will focus on expanding treatment resources and filling gaps through medication-assisted treatment, telehealth and 24-hour triage to create a gateway to help for those in need.

“The opioid epidemic is one of the most significant public health and safety issues the state has faced in generations. Our vision is to bring together medical professionals, insurers, government, and the community to turn the tide against substance misuse, while showing compassion for those struggling with addiction and protecting those suffering from chronic pain,” said Pam Kehaly, president and CEO of BCBSAZ. “Now is our time to act, and together we can heal and protect Arizona.”

Helping to shape and guide the program is an advisory committee of leaders who represent Arizona’s diverse communities. The committee works closely with the BCBSAZ Community Health Interventions Team to advise on priorities, review grant applications, and help monitor outcomes.

Mobilize AZ embodies BCBSAZ’s mission to improve the quality of life for all Arizonans. For almost 80 years, BCBSAZ has helped Arizonans protect their health and, in recent years, has worked to combat the opioid epidemic. The company, working in collaboration with its provider network, has reduced the number of opioid medications prescribed to members by 35 percent since 2013.

For more information and to join BCBSAZ in the fight against opioid misuse and substance use disorder, visit MobilizeAZ.com.

Laser Gals holding Customer Appreciation event

Laser Gals, 1335 Pacific Ave., Suite 101B, will be holding a Customer Appreciation Day on Saturday, Sept. 22, from 12-4 p.m.

The event will include “tons of fun,” refreshments and raffles. All guests will receive a raffle free ticket for attending; extra tickets will be available for purchase with proceeds from sales donated to Bridget’s Gift.

For more information, call 928-228-2262.

Blue Cross Blue Shield invests $10M in opioid misuse fight

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona has launched Mobilize AZ, a multi-faceted program to address the misuse of opioids and other substances and reduce overdose-related deaths in Arizona.

With BCBSAZ investing $10 million over three years, the initiative will support prevention, treatment and recovery programs to help providers, the community, and local organizations fight against the opioid epidemic.

Arizona alone had more than 8,500 suspected opioid overdoses and more than 1,500 suspected opioid deaths in the past year. As the numbers continue to climb and impact the health of Arizona families, BCBSAZ is stepping up in an effort to turn the tide against substance misuse.

“Opioid misuse continues to take a devastating toll in Arizona. While we have already made an incredible amount of progress to address this issue, more must be done,” said Gov. Doug Ducey. “This $10 million investment demonstrates

WASHINGTON — U.S. employers advertised the most jobs on record in July, and the number of workers quitting their jobs also hit a new all-time high.

Americans are increasingly taking advantage of a tight labor market to find new, often higher-paying jobs. That could help push up wages broadly across the economy.

The Labor Department said Tuesday that the number of job openings rose 1.7 percent to 6.9 million, the most on record dating back to late 2000. The number of people quitting jumped 3 percent to 3.58 million, also a record. Quits are typically a good sign that jobs are plentiful, because people usually quit when they have another job or are confident they can find one.

With the unemployment rate at 3.9 percent, near an 18-year low, businesses are increasingly desperate to find workers. Even as the number of available jobs rose, overall hiring in July was essentially flat, with about 5.7 million people finding jobs, the report showed.

The data are from the government’s Job Openings and Labor Turnover survey, or JOLTS, which tracks total job openings, quits and hiring.

The JOLTS report comes after the government said earlier this month that employers added 201,000 jobs in August. That figure represents the net total of jobs added, while the JOLTS data reports overall hires without subtracting quits, layoffs and resignations.

The jump in job openings in July suggests solid hiring will continue in the coming months.

Private sector surveys also point to solid gains. ManpowerGroup’s employment outlook survey, released Tuesday, found that employers in all 13 large industries that it tracks plan to add workers in the final three months of the year. The staffing company’s survey also found that hiring should pick up in all four regions.

The company’s hiring index in the South reached a 10-year high, ManpowerGroup said.

With the economy growing at a healthy clip and consumers spending freely, employers are optimistic about future demand and want to hire more. That appears to be finally pushing some employers to pay more, pushing up wages.

According to a jobs report early this month, average hourly pay rose 2.9 percent in August compared with a year earlier. That was the best annual gain since June 2009, when the Great Recession ended.

A more dynamic job market, with more people quitting and finding new work, can help fuel better wage gains. Workers who switch jobs are getting raises roughly one-third larger than those who remain at their jobs, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta.

“Mobility of workers between jobs boosts competition for talent and puts pressure on employers to offer better pay and benefits,” said Cathy Barrera, chief economist for online job site ZipRecruiter.

Openings rose in manufacturing, finance and insurance, and hotels and restaurants. They fell in retail and in education and health.