Bakken Economy -- September 17, 2015 -- North Dakota Expands, US Stagnates -- Tea Leaves

The Dickinson Press is reporting:

Efforts to get a direct flight from Fargo to Seattle are getting a $500,000 boost from the federal government.

The U.S. Department of Transportation grant would guarantee any airline offering the service would not lose money in the first year, and provide marketing support.

Seattle is an important destination because there are strong business and family ties between the Pacific Northwest and the Fargo area, [a spokesman] said, citing Microsoft’s Fargo campus. 

Seattle is also a hub with connections to other West Coast cities, Alaska, Hawaii and the Asia Pacific.

The grant will be matched with $300,000 from the airport, the local Economic Development Corp. and the Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Rent seeking?

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US Economy

Wal-Mart to hire 60,000, Macy's to hire 85,000 for holidays.

In line with one widely watched holiday hiring forecast, Wal-Mart said Thursday that it will hold its seasonal hiring to last year's levels.

Earlier this week, outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas said it expects retailers to add roughly 755,000 seasonal hires to their payrolls in the final three months of the year. That level would be flat with last year, when holiday hiring fell short of predictions.

Toys 'R Us, Kohl's, FedEx, and UPS expand hiring for the holidays.