In the national news: Candy/February, job openings, kids, and money

I worked for a candy store when I was in college. February was one of the most important months of the year for our little retail establishment. So it surprised me, and then I had to chuckle, when I read the lead sentence of an article in the Wall Street Journal this week: "February may be the second-least important month of the year for retailers..." Of course the rest of the retail world doesn't panic about February quite like I did in college!

Anyway, the article has nothing to do with candy stores. It talks about retail sales in February 2011. Most economists predicted a peppy returns during what is normally mediocre month. Data from the Commerce Department today confirmed the positive predictions. What did people buy? Check out the latest news.

Regular readers know that I've changed positions, which means that my old job will soon be open for applications. But it's not the only open position in our section; there's also an entry-level Economist spot available in Eugene. Interested applicants can check out the job posting.

Be aware, however, that competition might be stiff. Increasing numbers of college graduates are turning to the public sector... or so says the NY Times. I'm definitely planning to share the announcement with the Economics Department at my alma mater (go ducks!).

Since we're talking about young people, here's an article on workforce training for youths: "DOL Awards $30 Million in YouthBuild Grants". The federal government is spending the money across 31 programs in the U.S., providing not only workforce training to young people but also benefits to the communities where youth complete projects.

Finally: Lawyers. I know society likes to give them a hard time, but I've met and I'm friends with many wonderful people who are lawyers. If you know someone who's considering a career in law, they might also want to consider this article: "[Cities] where lawyers earn the most".