The Triad Business Index...
rose in March, according to the latest figures from economist Don Jud, professor emeritus at UNCG.
Jobless claims went down -- and have fallen 15.5 percent over the past year. Unemployment stayed the same as February -- at 5.2 percent.
Another bright spot: the service sector. It keeps adding where manufacturing is laying off. But goods producing employment is picking up slightly. Employment rose .1 percent for the month and 2.8 percent for the year.
The only problem? Wages. They are going up, but not enough to beat inflation.
Find out why in Sunday's paper.