March 2012

Mar 20, 2012

Slow job growth in North Carolina

The good news is that the number of jobs has increased during the past two years. The bad news is the pace of job improvement in North Carolina has been especially slow. Job growth in our state has been only one third as fast as in the nation. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden explains why. 

Mar 19, 2012

Measuring debt

The national debt is a big issue, but people have different ways of looking at it. In fact, some people say the debt is going down even as the dollar value of it is going up. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden explains how this claim can be made. 

Mar 16, 2012

Nancy Keith named Iredell Cooperative Extension director

Nancy Keith, who has directed North Carolina Cooperative Extension programs in Yadkin County since 2007, has been named Cooperative Extension director in Iredell County. 

Mar 16, 2012

YOU DECIDE: What are the top tax tradeoffs?

Taxes involve tradeoffs, and any discussion of taxes should consider these tradeoffs. Mike Walden discusses. 

Mar 16, 2012

Confusion over unemployment

The last national jobs report was considered a good one: Jobs were up and the unemployment rate was down. Yet some analysts say these results were misleading because they don’t account for workers who have dropped out of the labor force and aren’t counted as jobless. So, what’s the correct way to look at the report? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden responds. 

Mar 15, 2012

Home prices and babies

Home prices have fluctuated dramatically in the last 15 years. First, we have the house-price boom. Then it was followed by a house-price bust. Have there been some impacts of this fluctuation on family choices? N.C. State University economist Mike Walden answers. 

Mar 14, 2012

Right-to-work states

Indiana recently passed legislation to become the latest right-to-work state. N.C. State University economist Mike Walden explains what a right-to-work state is and why the concept is sometimes controversial. 

Mar 13, 2012

Simunovic honored with Tung Award

Dr. Josip Simunovic, research associate professor in the Department of Food, Bioprocessing and Nutrition Sciences, has been honored with the Marvin A. Tung Achievement Award given by the Institute for Thermal Processing Specialists. 

Mar 13, 2012

Signaling your preferences

People typically buy things to serve a need. Also, most of us like to serve that need in the least expensive way possible. But N.C. State University economist Mike Walden says there are times when buying meets other objectives. 

Mar 12, 2012

Extension part of N.C. State service award

N.C. Cooperative Extension is recognized as one of the factors in North Carolina State University receiving the highest federal recognition a college or university can receive for its commitment to volunteering, service-learning and civic engagement – a Presidential Award. As part of the 2012 President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll, N.C. State is one of only five Presidential Awardees nationwide, and one of two in the “general community service” category.