Business Briefing: Illinois employment rate stagnant

An job index has recorded little to no new employment last month among small businesses as stores prepare for the holiday shopping season.

According to Intuit QuickBooks’ Small Business Indexes, Illinois witnessed a 0.1 percent decrease in employment between the past two months among those businesses that employ fewer than 20. The index also reveals that many U.S. small businesses have reported declining revenue amid stagnant employment.

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This year, the traditional retail bonanza that comes the day after, and at some stores the day of, Thanksgiving will especially be welcoming as a number of big-box retailers are limping toward the holiday season. Retailers such as Gap Inc., which owns and operates Banana Republic, Old Navy and its namesake Gap stores, have reported a $3.8 billion, or 3 percent, drop in sales during October. Learn more here.

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Google Maps is now offering an offline option if your Internet connection is iffy. The update for Android phones is coming Tuesday and a version for iPhones will come soon. Read more here.

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Chipotle restaurants in the Pacific Northwest are preparing to reopen as no traces of E. coli have been found. All the tests of food from Chipotle locations in Washington and Oregon have come back negative. Find out more here.

-Will Buss, BND business writer

This story was originally published November 10, 2015 at 9:10 AM with the headline "Business Briefing: Illinois employment rate stagnant."