"jps" wrote in message
...
"MadDogDave" wrote in message
news:c3dhc2g=.0383a4a8de913cb41afafd9840c25c48@106 2775970.cotse.net...
September 5, 2003
Layoffs Rose Sharply Last Month, Report Says
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) -- The civilian unemployment rate improved marginally
last month -- sliding to 6.1 percent -- as companies slashed payrolls by
93,000. Friday's report sent mixed signals about the nation's overall
economic health.

August was the seventh consecutive month of cuts in payrolls, a survey
released by the Labor Department showed, indicating continuing weakness
in the job market.


Thank Jesus for President Bush!!!!!!!!!!


That's a hell of a thing to lay on Jesus' lap. What did he do to deserve
George Bush?

Notice how the unemployment rate improved...people are so disheartened
they're giving up and not bothering to report.

The unemployment rate is determined by surveying households. The other
figure is determined by sampling certain businesses. If you sample
households, and the results tell you there were fewer people unemployed in
August than in July, then why do the businesses report a cut in payrolls by
93,000? Simple...that survey ignores small business. Small business is
beginning to hire in pretty large numbers. If the surveyed businesses lay
off a net amount of 93,000 employees, but the unemployment rate falls, then
that means these employees are being absorbed into the job market in small
businesses not accounted for in the original survey. "Unemployment rate" is
the key figure...


I just had an interesting conversation with my dad this evening. He works
for a manufacturing company that supplies the airline industry.
Me: "How's business?"
Dad: "Had a terrible week"
Me: "Sales down?"
Dad: "No...up."
Me: "Why the bad week?"
Dad: "Our productivity is maxed out, and we can't get the product made and
out the door fast enough."
Me: "Why doesn't your manufacturing plant hire more people?"
Dad: "The plant managers want to see some more hard data showing that the
economy is improving."
Me: "Don't they know about all the orders they've been having trouble
filling?"
Dad: "Yup. But they want to make sure it's a real rebound that's taking
place before they hire back everyone they had laid off."
Me: "What are customers saying about you not getting product to 'em?"
Dad: "Some of the orders we had earlier in the year are getting cancelled."
Me: "But that will hurt your future sales...so your "managers" are
self-fulfilling their own prophecy that business might not be that good yet!
Better fire the managers and hire some Republicans that want the economy to
improve...not keep the obviously Democratic managers that are hoping the
economy flounders."
Dad: "I'm beginning to think that's the problem."

That's a micro example of what's also going on in the macro sense...and the
very reason that employment figures lag an increase in GDP by approximately
6 months.