Legal Jobs Down In February

Just when the legal industry was starting to crawl forward in its battle against unemployment, it gets shoved back into the real world. The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ recent monthly employment report has revealed a loss of 2,900 legal jobs in February. Apparently January’s legal-industry job growth of 500 jobs was just a tease, and we’re being dealt what the AmLaw Daily calls “a harsh dose of reality.”

The reality is even harsher when compared to the improvements to the job market in other sectors such as manufacturing and construction, professional and business services and employment services, which all have added a significant number of jobs. While the job market is still struggling, an increase in jobs has reduced the United States’ unemployment rate from 9 percent to 8.9 percent.

But the legal industry is back to negative numbers, and the year-long statistics aren’t positive either. From February 2010 to February 2011, the legal industry is down 1,300 jobs.

So what should we do with this negative news? Should law schools take more responsibility to create solutions? Should lawyers themselves get creative and forge the future of the legal industry? Are the changes to the legal industry bigger than the economy? Let us know what you think in the comments or on Twitter.

AmLaw Daily Source
Wall Street Journal Blog Source
Bureau of Labor Statistics February Employment Report

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