Syracuse unemployment remains high, but there are positive signs

The Syracuse area unemployment remained high during the month of March, but according to the Department of Labor there were signs that a recovery may be coming soon.

The unemployment rates in Madison, Onondaga and Oswego counties were 8.5 percent in March, which is slightly lower than February, according to the Post-Standard. February’s rate was 9 percent.

However, the 8.5 percent in March is the highest jobless rate for any March on record.

Both the state and national unemployment rates were higher than the Syracuse area’s rate, but they were down from February.

New York State’s unemployment rate was 8.8 percent, down from 9.2 percent. The nation’s rate was 10.2 percent in March. It fell from February’s jobless rate of 10.4 percent.

The Syracuse area lost 3,400 jobs between March 2009 and March 2010, but there have been improvements in some sectors. The educational and health service sector and also the leisure and hospitality sector reached all-time employment highs.

The educational and health service sector gained 1,600 jobs, while the leisure and hospitality sector gained 600 jobs.

The construction industry also added 500 jobs from March of last year.

The Department of Labor expects to see more improvements in the coming months, especially in retail employment.

 Obama outlines his space exploration strategy

President Obama assured the nation he was committed to the space program, by outlining his new strategy. Obama will cut funding to some current programs, while creating some new ones, according to CNN.

In a speech at the Kennedy Space Center, Obama announced his plan, which focused on deep space exploration.

Obama will add $6 billion into NASA’s budget over the next five years. The extra money would be for research on a propulsion breakthrough to travel deeper in space, as well as new technologies to allow humans to transport necessary supplies to work and stay longer in space.

Obama also announced he will stop a project intended to resume lunar missions.

Obama’s plan also includes a multibillion-dollar modernization of Kennedy Space Center, creation of thousands of jobs, and eventually human travel to Mars.

“By the mid-2030s I believe we can send people to orbit Mars and bring them safely back to Earth,” Obama said. He went on to say that he expected to be alive when humans land on Mars.

 Two NBA coaches fired

The Philadelphia 76ers and Los Angeles Clippers both decided that they were better off with a new coach next year, after disappointing seasons. The 76ers fired head coach Eddie Jordan after just one season, while the Clippers fired their interim coach Kim Hughes, according to ESPN.

76ers president and general manager Ed Stefanski called Jordan’s first season “unacceptable,” and thought the team actually took a step backward.

Jordan and the 76ers finished the season with a 27-55 record. For his career Jordan has a 257-343 record with three teams.

This is the second year in a row Jordan has been fired, after the Washington Wizards fired him last year. Two years and $6 million remain on his contract with the 76ers.

The Sixers are now looking for their fourth coach in three seasons.

As for the Clippers, Hughes was 8-25 after he took over for Mike Dunleavy in February. That gave the Clippers a 29-53 record for the season.

Clippers president Andy Roeser said, “we appreciate Kim’s contributions during his time here…but we also know that our responsibility is to do what is in the organization’s immediate best interests for its ability to move forward.”

The NBA season ended last night and the playoffs will begin Saturday.

Read the full story about Jordan and the 76ers here.

Read the full story and Kim and Hughes and the Clippers here.