Internet-based skilled vacancies increased for four of the eight occupational groups monitored by the department in June.

The largest increase was recorded for labourers, which rose 1.4 per cent, followed by community and personal service workers that rose 1.3 per cent.

Demand for clerical and administrative workers fell by 1.1 per cent.

During the month, the Northern Territory posted the largest increase, rising by 2.0 per cent, followed by Western Australia, up 0.9 per cent.

The biggest drop was recorded in the ACT, down 4.4 per cent.

Queensland showed the biggest increase in ads over the year, rising by 22.7 per cent.

Tasmania recorded a 21.8 per cent drop in ads over the past year, the only jurisdiction to decline. Get full info…

A Hawaiian man, whose love for motorcycles was temporarily halted after an accident in 1982 left him a quadriplegic and no longer able to ride his bikes.

In the years since, he’s remained a motorhead and continued to tinker and tweak various vehicles, including a scooter made from a mo-ped. But according to the Honolulu Advertiser, “All of his efforts — and his passion for the road — are now being channeled into his new business, Hawaiian Chariot Wheelchair Motorbikes LLC, which builds and sells customized three-wheeled vehicles — all street legal. Daniel Wa

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Bank of America’s corporate headquarters is shown in Charlotte, N.C. AP Photo

NEW YORK — Things keep getting worse for Bank of America.

On Tuesday, the largest U.S. bank reported a loss of $9.1 billion during the second quarter, partly due to an $8.5 billion settlement with investors. That agreement, reached in June, settled claims that the bank had sold the investors poor-quality mortgage bonds. The bank had already announced several other settlements this year. The total so far to settle investor claims: $12.7 billion.

The large settlements and protracted losses related to mortgage loans is causing investors to worry about something bigger: Bank of America’s overall financial strength. I

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The company vying to develop the state’s first uranium mine, Toro Energy, will next week provide its environmental plan for public scrutiny.

Toro will on Monday release the environmental impact statement for its Wiluna project in the state’s Mid West region for public exhibition for 14 weeks.

Toro said Wiluna would be the first uranium project in Western Australia to reach this stage.

The company said technical work on the project continued as it worked towards delivering a definitive feasibility study by about April next year.

The company hopes to commence construction by late 2012, start production a year later, and begin sales in 2014.

Toro said it remained in talks with potential customers.

It was also continuing discussions with parties interested in participating in a joint venture at the Wiluna development that may assist with project funding.

Toro says it is in pole position to become WA’s first uranium miner.

Canada’s Mega Uranium last month postponed the feasibility study for its Lake Maitland project in the Mid West region but continued exploration drilling after it became apparent a larger uranium resource could be defined.

Mega Uranium had sought to bring Lake Maitland into production late this year, a target dubbed ambitious by its competitors.

WA’s Department of Mines and Petroleum expects Lake Maitland will be in production “some time in 2013″.

Meanwhile, mining giant BHP Billiton aims to start producing uranium at its much larger Yeelirrie project in the Mid West by 2014.

WA’s Colin Barnett-led Liberal government in 2008 lifted a six-year ban on uranium mining that was imposed by the previous Labor government.

Speaking on the sidelines of the Australian Uranium Conference in Fremantle on Wednesday, Toro managing director Greg Hall said the majority of Western Australians were in favour of uranium mining.

“There is a much broader understanding of the industry – notwithstanding this year the issues at Fukushima and the impact on nuclear power,” Mr Hall told AAP.

In terms of public sentiment, Mr hall said the Fukushima crisis in Japan had set back the industry by one to two years.

In the long term, uranium supply would tighten because of delays at several projects.

“Toro is one of the few who are still advancing a project,” Mr Hall said.

Shares in Toro were up 0.4 cents at 8.8 cents on Wednesday.

POTTSTOWN — In recognition of its deep commitment to sustainability, Montgomery County Community College, with campuses in Blue Bell and Pottstown, is one of only five institutions in the country to earn a 2011 Award for Institutional Excellence in Climate Leadership from Second Nature.

The award was presented at Second Nature’s fifth annual Climate Leadership Summit of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment on June 23 in Washington, D.C. Institutions were evaluated based on a variety of criteria for climate leadership on campus, including senior leadership, learning experiences and innovative strategies and financing.

Since signing the ACUPCC in 2007, MCCC has put into place policies and procedures that reduce its carbon footprint. S

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Entrepreneur:

Every frat house and bar has its self-appointed beer expert. But if you really want to learn what’s worth drinking and which brews complement your favorite foods, the go-to guy is Matt Simpson, aka The Beer Sommelier.

Based in Marietta, Ga., the fast-talking Simpson has built a formidable one-man business around his knowledge of beer. He studies different styles. He discerns flavor profiles.

“Just like with wine, it’s all about balance,” Simpson says. “At the

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Many of life’s events are cause for inspiration. For Jay Feinberg, it was his battle with cancer, reports Reuters.

It has been 20 years since he battled leukemia and won, but that hasn’t stopped him from pushing forward to help other with the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation.

Feinberg abandoned plans to become a lawyer and devoted himself fulltime to running Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, his nonprofit venture now based in Boca Raton, Florida. It

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US miner Peabody Energy and the world’s biggest steel maker, ArcelorMittal, have agreed to improve their joint $4.7 billion takeover bid for Queensland-based coal miner Macarthur Coal.

The parties have agreed to a due diligence process whereby the St Louis and Luxembourg-based suitors will run the ruler over the target’s mine sites.

Following talks, Peabody and ArcelorMittal have agreed to improve their indicative $15.50 per share proposal by allowing Macarthur to pay a dividend of 16 cents per share to investors without reducing the offer price.

They will also reduce the number of conditions attached to the proposal.

In return, Macarthur will throw open its data room to Peabody and ArcelorMittal, and provide them with site visits.

“Should the proposal proceed and be successful, Macarthur will form an integral part of Peabody Australia and expand ArcelorMittal’s mining interests in the key resource market of Australia,” the suitors said in a joint statement.

“On this basis, both Peabody and ArcelorMittal acknowledge and value the contribution that Macarthur employees will make to the ongoing operations and growth plans.”

On Thursday, a notice to the local share market showed mutual fund and financial services group Fidelity Investments had reduced its holdings in Macarthur by 7.6 million shares, leaving it with a 3.5 per cent stake, from about six per cent previously.

Peabody already has a 16.07 per cent stake in the target, reflecting the interest held by ArcelorMittal before the proposal was made and giving the joint bid a head start.

The indicative offer represents a 43 per cent premium to Macarthur’s one-month volume weighted average price prior to July 11, when the proposal was made public, of $10.83 per share.

Macarthur shares jumped in the wake of the proposal, but have not eclipsed the indicative bid price, suggesting the market does not expect a higher offer to be received.

Shares in Macarthur closed up 12 cents at $15.34 on Thursday.