Clumsy attempts to promote his boss, Gordon Brown, at the expense of other ministers cost one spinner, Charlie Whelan, his job last winter.

ECONOMIST: The new establishment

Conseiller Williams said most of those who had lost their jobs had lived in the island for most of their lives and they "will struggle to find another job in the winter months".

BBC: Sandra Williams

Economists warn though that the warm winter may be artificially fueling both job creation and consumer spending, leaving a slowdown likely later this spring or during the summer.

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He was with the performance squad last winter in Perth and did a good job over there.

BBC: Gibson takes England bowling role

When Neha Gupta prepared to graduate from college last December, she faced a difficult job search since many large companies weren't recruiting for winter openings.

WSJ: Job Hunting in the Off Season

But the appointment of Harris, who started his coaching career at Featherstone Rovers in 2009 before joining Noble at Crusaders last winter, now has responsibility for on-field affairs in his first top job.

BBC: Iestyn Harris replaces Brian Noble as Crusaders coach

Sport saw the Winter Olympics in Japan, the departure of Ruud Gullit from the manager's job at Chelsea and the rare sight of an England Test victory over the West Indies.

BBC: click on a month

Back home, however, Mr Rossel is doing a fair job of shepherding his people through the current troubles, and particularly the oncoming winter.

ECONOMIST: Edward Rossel, Russia’s ungovernable governor | The

In neighboring Fort Myers, Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Colleen DePasquale says job growth may in part be seasonal, because the population always swells in the winter months, and two baseball teams, the Twins and the Red Sox, go to Fort Myers for spring training.

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