The U.S. economy is chugging along, but jobs still seem scarce. Also, workers in many industries are nervous that they may be out of work soon, thanks to cheaper labor overseas. But some economists argue that offshoring is part of free trade, and the money saved will be reinvested in new job-creating businesses at home. Here's a look at what's new in the jobs debate from around the Web. (Some links may require registration or subscriptions.)

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A JOB 4 U?: In a country with few computers, Kenyan jobseekers who want to use the Internet to page through help-wanted ads must travel miles to find a cyber café. Kenyan firm OneWorld International hopes to make the process of finding a job less expensive and more convenient by providing the service over cellphones. Subscribers receive text messages from the company whenever a new job is posted to the system at a cost of about four cents per message. While only half a million Kenyans have Internet access, three million have cellphones. The most often-posted jobs include drivers, house help and salespeople, and OneWorld says more than 5,000 Kenyans have signed up so far.

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MORE MONEY, MORE PROBLEMS: Outsourcing may be bringing more jobs to Indian cities like Bangalore and Hyderabad, but it also appears to be spurring a jump in crime. An India Daily editorial reports that between 2001 and 2003, Hyderabad recorded a 71% increase in crimes, including murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and bomb attacks. Bangalore recorded only a 7% jump within city limits, but including the rural areas, crime is up 42%.

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SIMPLE SUFFIX: The Wall Street Journal reports that a new Web-site suffix could make it easier for people to find corporate job openings. Employers could create a new site ending in ".jobs." For instance, Dell Inc.'s jobs site could be www.dell.jobs; Walt Disney Co.'s could be www.disney.jobs. While many employers currently post openings on their Web sites, job seekers are often forced to make several clicks before landing on the jobs section.

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SHOW ME THE MONEY: This year's college grads will probably earn more than last year's. While the starting salaries for computer engineering and information science jobs are slightly lower, many other majors will see significant increases, CNN Money reports. Aerospace and aeronautical engineering majors are enjoying a 9% increase, marketing majors have seen a 6% increase, while even liberal arts grads are enjoying a 4.2% bump.

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HOME SCHOOLED: Albuquerque Tribune columnist Robert Spiegel writes of the changes he's seen in the U.S. economy over the years he's spent in the workforce. "We baby boomers jumped from job to job, career to career. Anyone who spent 35 years at the same job was missing all the fun... But I'm not so sure what will unfold during my children's work life." While the best and brightest from around the world used to clamor for a chance to get the economic and educational opportunities offered in the U.S., many can now stay home.

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ALL IN THE FAMILY: Getting a job sometimes depends on whom you know -- or, in politics, whom you are related to. An Associated Press review of records found that many lawmakers recruit spouses, children and other relatives at donor expense to keep the books, canvass for supporters and raise money. The study found that while some family members earn enough to make a living, many come cheap.

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GLAMOROUS GIGS: Think making a lot of money makes your job sexy? Think again. Software company Salary.com recently conducted a survey asking people what they thought the "sexiest" jobs were. Leading the list, the bravest: some 16% of respondents said firefighters had the sexiest jobs. Right behind them at 13% were flight attendants. CEOs wound up in third place, while reporters, interior designers and event planners tied for fourth at an even 10%.

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LEFT BARE: Africa's almost fairy-tale story of economic growth looks to have a not-so-happy ending, reports the Miami Herald. In fact, the continent may be left bare. Since the end of the World Trade Organization's textile and clothing quota system on January 1, thousands of Africans in the textile industry have lost their jobs. Meanwhile, The Wall Street Journal examines the problems a Cincinnati textile company faced when it opened its first factory in China.

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READY FOR TAKE OFF: At Boeing, the local workforce was slashed almost in half between mid-1998 and the end of 2004. But after six years of decline, Boeing has begun the process of rehiring. The Seattle Times reports that with production of the new 787 scheduled to begin in 2007 and increased production rates planned for existing Boeing programs, forecasters are predicting as many as 14,000 new jobs in the aerospace sector over the next three years. Critics, however, say the new jobs are different from the old ones, with lower wages and less-generous benefits.

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HIDDEN COSTS: About one-third of all disabled people in their 50s -- and half of all disabled men -- became disabled because of their jobs, a new study shows. The study estimates that the annual cost of workplace injuries to Medicare and Social Security Disability Insurance exceeds $33 billion a year.