Poll: Eliminating Seniority-Based Teacher Layoffs Supported in New York ALBANY — An overwhelming majority of New Yorkers said teacher layoffs should be based on performance not seniority, according to a poll Thursday. Read more on WGRZ-TV Buffalo

Laid-Off New Haven Police Officers Apply In Middletown The city has received 16 applications from the New Haven police officers who were laid off by the mayor there last week, Personnel Director Debra Milardo said Wednesday. Read more on Hartford Courant

Reno still weighing proposals on layoffs Negotiations are down to the wire for concessions by Reno city labor unions to save some jobs held by 100 city employees to be laid off Tuesday. Read more on Carson Times

Some laid-off Camden police set sights on Nashville Carl Godlewski’s two daughters are ready to relocate in Nashville if the laid-off Camden police officer gets hired there. His 9-year-old wants to see where the pop star Taylor Swift lives. Read more on The Philadelphia Inquirer

Report: Great Lakes generate 1.5 million jobs Ann Arbor— An analysis by Michigan Sea Grant at the University of Michigan says more than 1.5 million U.S. jobs and $ 62 billion in annual wages are linked directly to the Great Lakes. Read more on Detroit News

Fewer people requested unemployment aid last week; monthly average falls to lowest since 2008 WASHINGTON – Fewer Americans requested unemployment benefits last week, pushing the average number of U.S. applications over the past four weeks Read more on Canadian Business

Blue Heron paper in Oregon City to shut down OREGON CITY — The Blue Heron Paper Co. has announced plans to close its mill in Oregon City, laying off 175 workers. Read the company announcement The company filed for bankruptcy protection in December, 2009, trying to streamline operations, cutting back newsprint production by 3,000 tons [...]

Laid-off police officer back to work, in a school  A laid-off police officer is back on the job, thanks to a private contract. Read more on Star Beacon

BIW laying off 130 more workers Last month the shipyard laid off 130 workers, as well. Read more on Morning Sentinel

Men bounce back faster from recession’s unequal blows WASHINGTON – The early stages of the economic recovery have taken on a decidedly masculine tone. It was job gains by men that fueled January’s steep decline in the national unemployment rate from 9.4 percent to 9 percent. In fact, men have gained 438,000 jobs since the [...]