Rent-to-own News

Rent-to-own News - Private sector hiring ramps up

January 5, 2012

Private-sector companies significantly ramped up their hiring in December, according to a report issued Thursday.

The private sector added a seasonally adjusted 325,000 jobs during the month, up from 204,000 in November, payroll-processing firm ADP said.

It marked the biggest monthly gain since December 2010, and was stronger than expected. Economists surveyed by Briefing.com were forecasting a gain of 180,000 jobs for the month.

"It's not a bad way to wrap up the year," said Paul Ballew, chief economist for Nationwide. "And it's certainly better than we had feared back in the summer."

Small businesses -- those with fewer than 50 employees -- made up nearly half the gains, hiring 148,000 people in December. Large companies with 500 or more employees hired 37,000 new workers, and medium-sized businesses added 140,000 to their payrolls.

A separate report, also out Thursday, showed planned job cuts fell in December to their lowest level since June.
Planned job cuts up 14% in 2011

ADP's data came just a day ahead of the government's closely watched jobs report, but the two reports don't always match up. Some economists take the ADP report with a grain of salt, because its seasonal adjustments tend to be way off at the end of the year. In December 2010, ADP's numbers for private payroll growth were 130,000 higher than the government's official numbers.

Economists surveyed by CNNMoney expect the Labor Department's data to show private-sector businesses added 170,000 jobs in December, while the government cut 20,000 jobs, for a net gain of 150,000.

They're also forecasting the unemployment rate ticked up to 8.7% from 8.6% in November, mainly due to discouraged workers -- who had previously given up their job searches -- re-entering the labor force. To top of page
About APRO
The Association of Progressive Rental Organizations is the official voice of the rent-to-own industry and the most accurate and trustworthy source of rent-to-own news in the industry. Founded in 1980, APRO is the national, nonprofit trade association advocating and representing the rent-to-own industry before the U.S. Congress, state legislatures, courts, media and the public.

For more information, visit www.rtohq.org.

2012 APRO Convention and Trade Show

July 24-26, Memphis, TN

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From the Rent One Annual Managers Meeting St. Charles Missouri, March 14-15 Album
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RTOHQ: The Magazine
RTOHQ: The Magazine is the Association of Progressive Rental Organizations' award-winning rent-to-own industry magazine, and it's available here.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR DIGITAL RTOHQ: THE MAGAZINE

RTOHQ: The Magazine’s upgraded digital format

APRO's new, mobile-ready magazine is now available in addition to our print edition. The digital format provides the same informative content as our printed magazine, but also offers tools to make the reading experience more enriching. Access the table of contents page with one click or tap. Get additional information from advertisers by clicking on the links in their ads. The interface is easy to navigate and requires no special app—read our magazine on your computer, digital table or smartphone. Click here to access the digital version of RTOHQ: The Magazine March-April 2012.

A New Rent-to-Own Experience

by Neil Ferguson

Here’s the lowdown on APRO’s 2012 Convention and Trade Show, July 24-26 in Memphis. The RTO industry’s big event will offer many valuable experiences, including insights on how to turn your stores into “experiences”–the good kind for consumers

Who Is Your Competition?

by Bill Keese

In order to expand your customer base, you can learn a lot by observing your competitors. But first, you need to figure out just who they are. If you think your only competition is the rent-to-own store down the street, you’re not considering the bigger picture. APRO’s executive director offers a big-picture perspective.

A Review of Online Customer Complaints

by Ed Winn III

While rent-to-own companies have not cornered the market on negative reviews posted on consumer complaint websites, it’s no surprise that there are cyberspace beefs against RTO. APRO’s general counsel reviews some of them in search of a pattern and he considers appropriate response to online complaints.

Rent-to-Own Families, Part VIII

by Kristen Card

Our series of family-run rent-to-own businesses continues with profiles of the Homeiers in Kansas and two Texas-based sets of kindred colleagues, the Spangles and the Weisblatts.

Future issues of APRO's magazine will be available in this same new format. Click here to access past issues that are not yet archived in the new interface.

Association of Progressive Rental Organizations
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Fax 512/794-0097