By Maxine Shapiro, KERA 90.1 business commentator
Dallas, TX – Let's catch up on some Texas news. High-tech and Oprah. I'm Maxine Shapiro with KERA Marketplace Middays.
As reported on Waco-Trib.com, Texas lost 3,000 high-tech jobs last year. That broke the state's six-year streak for creating new jobs in that sector. Texas still has over 450,000 employees in high-tech jobs. Second only to California, who has over double that. Still, it was Texas that had the biggest drop in high-tech employment. Not to worry, says Ben Kelly, Dean of Engineering and Computer Science at Baylor University. Technology is still thriving, just not as fast.
Speaking of high-tech, Deloitte and Touche, in association with law firm Haynes and Boone, announced the fifty fastest-growing technology companies in Texas. Dallas led the way with twenty-eight local companies making the list, based on the last five year's revenue.
Now if you're one of the more recent casualties of that industry or any industry in Texas, I have a little good news for you. You no longer need to stand in that depressing line to apply for jobless benefits. Initial claims only can be filed on line at www.texasworkforce.org. Once the application is accepted, benefits begin the Sunday of that week.
In Dumas, a little town north of Amarillo, some more livestock owners, once again unsuccessfully, tried to sue Oprah Winfrey, her production company, and vegetarian activist Howard Lyman. The same judge who oversaw that very expensive circus trial back in 1998 tossed out this second "veggie libel case." Quoting today's Dallas Morning News, "The False Disparagement of Perishable Food Products Act (you know a lawyer wrote that) allows producers to sue those who knowingly make false, disparaging statements about perishable agriculture products that result in damages." But does it cover livestock? That is the question. I can think of a better of one like, why waste your money? People will eat what they want to. Just consult your doctor on that one. For KERA Marketplace Middays, I'm Maxine Shapiro.
Marketplace Midday Reports air on KERA 90.1 Monday - Friday at 1:04 p.m. To contact Maxine Shapiro, please send emails to mshapiro@kera.org.