Small change: The government says gasoline will be cheaper this summer than previously expected, thanks to a drop in the price of oil. The Energy Department says drivers should pay an average of $3.79 per gallon at the pump from April through September. That’s down 16 cents from last month’s outlook and not that dramatic an increase from last summer’s average of $3.71 per gallon. This month’s forecast is a reversal from previous warnings of a sharp rise in gasoline prices. The government said last month that gasoline prices in May could jump above a monthly average of $4.01 per gallon. Oil prices have dropped about $7 per barrel since April 2. The national average for gas has declined 17 cents since early April to $3.76 per gallon today.
Help wanted: U.S. companies in March posted the highest number of job openings in nearly four years, a sign that hiring could strengthen in the coming months after slowing this spring. The Labor Department reports today that employers advertised 3.74 million job openings in March. That’s up from a revised 3.57 million in February and is the most since July 2008, just before the financial crisis erupted. Even with the increase, roughly 12.7 million people were unemployed in March. That means an average of 3.4 people competed for each open job. While that’s far better than the nearly 7-to-1 ratio calculated when the recession ended, in a healthy job market the ratio is usually around 2 to 1.
Geaux, Joshua: Louisiana’s Joshua Ledet, one of the last four contestants standing on American Idol, just needs to wow the judges one more time to bring the show to Louisiana. If the 20-year-old gospel singer from Westlake, near Lake Charles, makes it to the final three, the Fox singing competition will bring the show to southwest Louisiana to film Ledet as he greets fans and is reunited with his family. Ledet and the three remaining finalists perform Wednesday night. Viewers across America are given two hours to vote for their favorites, and the results show airs Thursday night at 7 p.m.
