Tourism project

funding available

The Bend Sustainability Fund is seeking applications Nov. 12-Jan. 12 from the community for projects that support tourism. Up to $500,000 is available to projects in this current round of funding. Since 2021, when the program began, transient room accommodation taxes have been used to fund 25 projects in the region. Visit Bend is a nonprofit organization that markets Bend and uses a portion of its transient accommodations taxes to fund projects that help support and promote tourism. Project goals include those that:

• protect, steward and create tourism-related facility that will last for more than 10 years.

• get used by visitors.

• have a clear timeline with measurable outcomes within a 12-month time frame.

• have community support.

Past projects include the Bend BMX facility that improved the track and installed perimeter fencing and an awning and the Tower Theatre Foundation refurbished facilities and equipment. For more information, visit https://sustainability.visitbend.com/

Jobless claims

rise slightly 

The number of Americans applying for jobless aid ticked up last week, but layoffs remain at historically low levels. The Labor Department reported Thursday that jobless claim applications rose by 3,000 to 221,000 for the week of Nov. 2. The four-week average of weekly claims, which softens some of the week-to-week fluctuations, fell by 9.750 to 227,250. Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs in a given week. Continuing claims, the total number of Americans collecting jobless benefits, rose by 39,000 to 1.89 million for the week of Oct. 26. That’s the most since late 2021.

SBA financing

rises by 7%

The Small Business Administration said it backed $56 billion in financing to small businesses and disaster-affected areas during the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, up 7% from a year prior. The growth was driven by smaller loans, the agency said in its annual Capital Impact report. For the first time since 2008, the SBA distributed more than 100,000 financings to small businesses, up 22% from fiscal 2023 and 50% over 2020.

Nissan cuts

9,000 jobs 

Nissan is reporting a loss for the latest fiscal quarter as its vehicle sales sank while costs and inventory ballooned. The Japanese automaker announced it is cutting 9,000 jobs globally, or about 6% of its more than 133,000 employees. Nissan is also slashing global production capacity by 20%. Chief Executive Makoto Uchida said Thursday he was taking a 50% pay cut to take responsibility for the dismal results, while promising that a turnaround was coming. Uchida said Nissan didn’t respond quickly or flexibly enough to global changes.

— Bulletin staff and wire reports