Hartford Business Journal

www.HartfordBusiness.com May 30, 2016 • Hartford Business Journal 7 RETAIL Walmart deems CT veterans hiring program a success Retail giant Walmart said it has hired almost 600 veterans in Con- necticut since launching its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment in May 2013, despite overall vet unemployment numbers being low. Overall, Walmart said it has hired 130,828 veterans nationally since it announced its Veterans Welcome Home Commitment. Of those 130,828 veteran hires, 15,176 have been promoted to jobs with higher pay and greater responsibility, including 59 in Connecticut. On Memorial Day 2013, Walmart introduced the Veterans Wel- come Home Commitment, which guaranteed a job offer to any eligible, honorably discharged U.S. veteran who was within 12 months of active duty. The initial goal was to hire 100,000 veter- ans by the end of 2018. In May 2015, Walmart announced the expansion of that origi- nal projection, with the goal of hiring 250,000 veterans by the end of 2020. Walmart has also changed the eligibility from within 12 months of active duty, to any veteran who has been honorably dis- charged since the announcement of the commitment in May 2013. REAL ESTATE CT home sales rise significantly Connecticut home sales and prices jumped significantly in April, but condominium and townhouse prices are dropping. Connecticut Realtors reported single-family residential home sales in Connecticut increased 17.8 percent to 2,702 in April 2016, compared to 2,294 in April 2015. T he median sales price of $248,000 reflects a 4.2 percent in- crease from this period last year. Townhouses and condominium sales in Connecticut increased 18 percent to 676 in April 2016 compared to 573 in April 2015, but the median sales price fell 3.1 percent to $155,500, from $159,900 in the year-ago period. Foreclosure rates dip in Greater Hartford, statewide Foreclosure rates in Greater Hartford showed a dip in March but still are higher than the national average as is the state's over- all foreclosure rate. The rate of Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford area foreclo- sures among outstanding mortgage loans was 1.42 percent for March 2016, a decrease of 0.23 percentage points compared with March 2015 when the rate was 1.65 percent. Foreclosure activity in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford was higher than the national foreclosure rate, which was 1.09 percent for March 2016, according to property analytics firm CoreLogic. The state's foreclosure rate for March 2016 was 1.7 percent, down from 2.03 percent in March 2015. Also in Hartford-West Hartford-East Hartford, the March mort- gage delinquency rate decreased: 3.54 percent of mortgage loans were 90 days or more delinquent compared with 4.46 percent for the same period last year. Connecticut's delinquency rate was 4.09 percent, down from 5.26 percent in March 2015. WHAT'S AHEAD: ■ 6/6 Focus: Technology ■ The List: Patents/NASA Contracts ■ Nonprofit Profile: Main Street Community Foundation CALENDAR FRIDAY, JUNE 10 Connecticut Tax Conference The Connecticut Business & Industry Association will be hosting a June 10 forum on key changes to the state's tax code resulting from the 2016 legislative session. The event will run from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Hartford Marriott Farmington, 15 Farm Springs Road. Speakers will include Department of Revenue Services Commissioner Kevin Sullivan and the region's top tax and legal experts who will discuss important tax changes and what they mean for businesses. Attendees will also have a choice of in-depth breakout sessions, including common task risks (and benefits) for Connecticut businesses and specific guidance for sales and use taxes on manufacturing and services. For more information or to register go to: http://www.cbia.com/ F O R A C O M P L E T E L I S T O F G R E A T E R H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S E V E N T S , G O T O W W W . H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S . C O M A N D C L I C K O N ' C A L E N D A R . ' A L L C A L E N D A R I T E M S M U S T B E S U B M I T T E D E L E C T R O N I C A L L Y V I A O U R W E B S I T E , H A R T F O R D B U S I N E S S . C O M . Kevin Sullivan Walmart has hired nearly 600 military vets in Connecticut. P H O T O | C O N T R I B U T E D I'M NOT A CONTRACTOR. I'M A CATALYST changing Connecticut for the greener. Contractors all over the state are building their business while they accelerate Connecticut's green energy movement. They're partnering with Connecticut Green Bank, the public/private organization created to make Connecticut more energy effi cient. Contractors are able to off er C-PACE fi nancing to building owners and other fl exible fi nancing solutions to homeowners. Are you ready to experience the power of positive energy? Let's get started at ctgreenbank.com/power.

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