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Two million Americans give notice every month. What pushes them to do so -- and what can employers do to staunch the talent drain? Some potent answers from Alan Hall, a veteran entrepreneur, angel investor, venture capitalist and Forbes.com contributor.

A record number of U.S. counties - more than 1 in 3 - are now dying off, hit by an aging population and weakened local economies that are spurring young adults to seek jobs and build families elsewhere.

Bob Benham’s Oklahoma City clothing store was so busy over the holiday shopping season he had to ask his sales staff to work extra hours to keep up with the pickup in foot traffic. But with business now softening again in the new year, he’s not convinced it’s time to start hiring more full time workers yet.

U.S. employers ramped up hiring in February, adding 236,000 jobs and pushing the unemployment rate down to 7.7 percent from 7.9 percent in January. Stronger hiring shows businesses are confident about the economy, despite higher taxes and government spending cuts.

A curious thing is happening among American shoppers. More are checking labels and asking, "Is it 'Made in the USA?'" Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, earlier this year announced it will boost sourcing of U.S. products by $50 billion during the next 10 years. General Electric is investing $1 billion through 2014 to revitalize its U.S. appliances business and create more than 1,500 U.S. jobs.

A private survey shows U.S. businesses added a solid number of jobs in February, indicating higher taxes and looming government spending cuts have yet to slow hiring.

"Here's the dilemma: we do have a long-term debt problem, but that doesn't mean that austerity now is the right response," Clinton said, adding that Republicans only support austerity measures "when Democrats are president." An affirmative plan on how to spark job creation and growth is a more powerful argument to the public than the GOP's advocacy for spending cuts and downsizing government, he contended.

Look out, California. Rick Perry is going hunting in your backyard for jobs to bring back to Texas. The Republican governor heads to San Francisco, the Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Orange County next week on a "business recruitment trip," his office says. The trip is being paid for by Texas One, a public-private partnership that does marketing for the state.

U.S. employers added 157,000 jobs in January, and hiring was much stronger at the end of 2012 than previously thought, providing reassurance that the job market held steady even as economic growth stalled.

Private-sector employers added 192,000 jobs in January, more than economists were expecting, in a sign of growth in the labor market, a report by a payrolls processor showed on Wednesday.