CHATTANOOGA, TN-From 85,000 applicants, Volkswagen has hired more than 1,500 workers and begun filling second-shift production jobs at its assembly plant here. MORE
MADISON, MS-French auto supplier Faurecia is buying Johnson Controls factory here, which makes seating for Nissan’s assembly plant in nearby Canton. MORE
HONG KONG-Labor trends that have fewer Chinese workers opting for menial, low-paying factory jobs on the east coast are expected to spread to the nation’s less-developed central and western regions, according to a report Wednesday in the state-run China Daily. MORE
MINNEAPOLIS-Medtronic Inc. has resolved issues at assembly plants in Mounds View, MN, and Juncos, Puerto Rico, that were raised in warning letters from the FDA. MORE
MARIETTA, GA-Lockheed Martin union workers approved a new three-year contract Sunday, avoiding the threat of a strike at the company’s aircraft assembly plant here. MORE
BERLIN-New factory orders in Germany rose more than expected in January, boosted by strong domestic demand. Factory orders increased by 2.9 percent compared with the revised figure of 3.6 percent decline in orders in December 2010. MORE
CHATTANOOGA, TN-Alstom shipped the first unit to roll off the line at its new assembly plant here yesterday. The facility makes steam turbines, gas turbines and other power power generation equipment. MORE