The WSJ posted a blog referring to recent lay-offs in the legal profession as the “darkest day ever for big law firms“.

The numbers below show a significant decrease in revenue growth for legal services and offices of lawyers over 2008. The industry maintained strong profit margins, and may suggest that high fixed costs such as expense accounts, salaries, and other overhead costs were reigned in over the last year prior to the increase in lay-offs.

It looks like schools providing trade and technical training are growing despite the current downturn.  Their revenues have grown at an average rate of 7.8% over the last 12 months compared to 5.9% in 2006 and 2007. 

 According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Education Pays Survey), earnings increase substantially and unemployment decreases substantially with greater levels of education. It may be that people are looking to use trade and technical training to set themselves apart as candidates or even to change career paths in the current economic climate.