Business

This week on the show, people in rural areas are trying to figure out how to keep youth – and jobs – in their areas. Plus, college graduates could have a better opportunity getting a job than graduates have in the past.

The 2010 Census found that the share of people in rural areas over the past decade fell to 16 percent, passing the previous low of 20 percent in 2000. The rural population is aging, and young people are moving away.

Missouri added about 4,800 jobs in March as its unemployment rate remained steady.

The head of a Columbia Chamber of Commerce task force trying to find ways to improve air travel in Mid-Missouri says it will consider a smaller hotel tax increase, now that a larger one has appeared to stall. Greg Steinhoff says hotel owners in Columbia weren’t thrilled with the idea of a 3 percent increase to the hotel tax, with the proceeds to be used for airport upgrades. But now that an organization representing those owners has said it would support a 1 percent hotel tax increase, Steinhoff says his task force will try to figure out how far that money would go.

The Columbia City Council will review the removal of trees on Westwood Avenue tonight.

This week: Find out how one community is going back in time to move businesses forward.  Plus, what dairy farmers want more protection in the 2012 Farm Bill.