Syngenta hires research head

DURHAM -- An industry veteran has been hired by Syngenta to lead global biotechnology research and development at both of the company's key biotechnology facilities.

Michiel van Lookeren Campagne, formerly the head of BioScience Research at Bayer CropScience, has 20 years of experience in academia and in the industry in the U.S. and abroad.

In his new role, he will be president of Syngenta Biotechnology Inc. in Durham's Research Triangle Park. He will also oversee Syngenta Biotechnology China Co. Ltd., located in Beijing.

Van Lookeren Campagne received his university education and doctorate in biology from Leiden University in the Netherlands.

Jobless rates up from last Sept.

DURHAM -- Unemployment rates were higher in September than a year earlier in 371 of the 372 metropolitan areas and lower in 1 area, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics announced.

Thirteen areas recorded jobless rates of at least 15.0 percent, while 12 areas registered rates below 5.0 percent. The national unemployment rate in September was 9.5 percent, not seasonally adjusted, up from 6.0 percent a year earlier.

Among the 369 metropolitan areas for which nonfarm payroll employment data were available, 359 areas reported over-the-year decreases in employment, and 10 reported increases.

In the Triangle, the Durham-Chapel Hill metropolitan statistical area shrank by 3.4 percent, or 10,000 workers, while the Raleigh-Cary area saw employment decrease by 2.9 percent, or 15,300 workers.

JetBlue to add Boston flights

RALEIGH -- JetBlue Airways announced Thursday it will add two flights from Raleigh-Durham International Airport to Boston.

The airline currently offers one daily departure from RDU to Boston. The additional flights will begin in summer 2010 and will bring to seven the total number of flights the airline offers from RDU.

JetBlue, which began service at RDU in July 2006, offers three daily departures from RDU to New York's JFK airport and one daily departure to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The news comes on the heels of an announcement last week from Southwest Airlines that it will begin nonstop service from RDU to St. Louis.

-- From staff reports