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ECONOMY
Caught at number 1
Jobless rate falls in March ASSOCIATED PRESS
AUSTIN — Texas’ jobless rate fell to 7 percent in March, marking the seventh consecutive month of decline, according to figures released Friday by the state employment agency. The state’s unemployment rate was down from 7.1 percent in February and 8 percent a year ago, the Texas Workforce Commission said. According to the commission, unemployment in McAllen-Edinburg-Mission fell to 10.7 percent, down from its previous 11.1. Laredo fell to 6.9 percent from its previous 7.2 percent, while El Paso’s unemployment rate fell to 9.4 percent, down from 9.6 percent. Brownsville-Harlingen recorded a 10.7 percent unemployment rate, down from 10.9 percent.
Strong showing
Bassmaster’s website contains an entry on Falcon Lake, its bass fishing merits and some of its downfalls. The article makes mention of a 2010 incident in which a man was shot while jet-skiing on the lake, but also cites the “increased safety precautions” that “have anglers returning to the area.” The county is in the midst of a transition from an oil-and-gas-
“The Texas economy continues to show strength” and experience job growth in the private sector, said Tom Pauken, chairman of the Texas Workforce Commission. In addition, he said, the state’s jobless rate consistently has remained below the national jobless rate for at least five years. The national unemployment rate has also been falling, down to 8.2 percent in March. The commission says Texas added 10,900 nonfarm jobs last month, and there were gains in eight of the state’s 11 major industries. Leisure and hospitality sectors grew the most with 6,000 new jobs, followed by a jump of 3,100 positions in information services. The biggest losses were in trade, transportation and utili-
See FALCON PAGE 10A
See JOBS PAGE 10A
Photo by Ulysses S. Romero/file | The Zapata Times
Despite the cold weather at a previous fishing event, pro fisher Keith Combs displays his heaviest catches of the day with a total of 29.1 pounds of bass caught during a past FLW Outdoors fishing tournament. Bassmaster Magazine named the 83,700-acre Falcon Lake the No. 1 lake for bass fishing in its April issue.
Magazine: Falcon Lake is best for bass fishing in US By JJ VELASQUEZ THE ZAPATA TIMES
A national bass fishing magazine validated an opinion tackle owners and county officials have held for the last several years: Falcon Lake is the best bass fishing lake in the country. Bassmaster Magazine, published by the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society, named Zapata County’s 83,700-acre international reservoir the No. 1 lake for bass
fishing in its April issue. Falcon Lake was ranked along with 99 other lakes in the United States. “We’ve always known this is one of the best bass lakes, but I guess now the whole nation knows,” said Norma Amaya, who owns Robert’s Fish N’ Tackle with her husband. Among the criteria the lakes were judged on were catching rates, tournament results and the fishery’s health. These were
culled from experts in each state, according to a press release. The organization then polled outdoor writers, professional anglers and industry leaders to whittle down the list further. “At the top of the list are lakes where you will catch giant bass, and plenty of ’em, in a beautiful setting,” the press release states. “As you read further down the list, trophy potential may drop off, or perhaps numbers may dwindle.”
WORKFORCE
Stats: Half of new grads are jobless, underemployed By HOPE YEN ASSOCIATED PRESS
WASHINGTON — The college class of 2012 is in for a rude welcome to the world of work. A weak labor market already has left half of young college graduates either jobless or underemployed in positions that don’t fully use their skills and knowledge. Young adults with bachelor’s degrees are increasingly scrap-
ing by in lower-wage jobs — waiter or waitress, bartender, retail clerk or receptionist, for example — and that’s confounding their hopes a degree would pay off despite higher tuition and mounting student loans. An analysis of government data conducted for The Associated Press lays bare the highly uneven prospects for holders of bachelor’s degrees. Opportunities for college graduates vary widely.
While there’s strong demand in science, education and health fields, arts and humanities flounder. Median wages for those with bachelor’s degrees are down from 2000, hit by technological changes that are eliminating midlevel jobs such as bank tellers. Most future job openings are projected to be in lower-skilled positions such as home health aides, who can provide personalized attention as the U.S. population ages.
Taking underemployment into consideration, the job prospects for bachelor’s degree holders fell last year to the lowest level in more than a decade. “I don’t even know what I’m looking for,” says Michael Bledsoe, who described months of fruitless job searches as he served customers at a Seattle coffeehouse. The 23-year-old graduated in 2010 with a creative writing degree. Initially hopeful that his col-
lege education would create opportunities, Bledsoe languished for three months before finally taking a job as a barista, a position he has held for the last two years. In the beginning he sent three or four resumes a day. But, Bledsoe said, employers questioned his lack of experience or the practical worth of his major. Now he sends a resume once every two weeks or so.
See GRADUATES PAGE 10A