A handful of business students were given a direct lesson Tuesday on the nation’s economy, the national debt and the prospects for job seekers in Texas.

Thomas Siems, senior economist and economic outreach officer for the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, gave a lecture entitled “Perspectives from the Federal Reserve,” in which he explained that Texas seems to be weathering the current economic storm.

Siems drew comparisons between the state of the economy and his favorite childhood book, “Fortunately,” by Remy Charlip.

Siems said that although the U.S. government is “unfortunately” in severe debt, Texas “fortunately” has grown to become a leading export state in the nation, even surpassing California. He said Texas’ high energy, oil and technology production played a factor in Texas becoming among one of the only states to experience job growth since the Great Recession.

To illustrate abstract economic concepts, Siems used an “economic dashboard,” which resembled a car dashboard. A speedometer represented the nation’s GDP growth, a fuel gauge measured the unemployment rate, the inflation rate was a temperature gauge, and an odometer measured the amount of jobs recovered since the Great Recession.

When seeking a job post-graduation, “Texas is the place to be,” Siems said.

For more information about the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, visitwww.dallasfed.org.