[re_nortex]

Here's a highlight from the article:

Express is also a good indicator of where the U.S. economy is growing and where it's still struggling. The top job growth is in cities like Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Oklahoma City and Indianapolis—cities without forced union rules, and with a pro-growth regulatory and tax climate. He says Michigan and Wisconsin are two states in the upper Midwest that have "really improved their business climate." The slowest state is still California: "They just raised their minimum wage again—it's just a killer for new jobs."

[1010RD]

The primary jobs problem today, Mr. Funk says, is that too many workers are functionally unemployable because of attitude, behavior or lack of the most basic work skills. One discouraging statistic is that only about one of six workers who comes to Express seeking employment makes the cut. He recites a company statistic that about one in four applicants can't even pass a drug test.

That's says it all.