🚀 go-pugleaf

Jim Blair wrote:
> 
> >> >"Jim Blair" <jeblair@facstaff.wisc.edu> wrote
<snip>
> 
> >...  I
> >think this is the point that you're referring to, but you make no mention of
> >this part of the equation at all.  Instead, you're saying that since we're
> >not all farmers or factory workers, we're all better off.  The phasing out
> >of old economies cannot accout for greater employment.  Less people working
> >[at manufacturing] does not mean more people are employed.
> 
> Lets keep "facts" (data) and theory/speculation separate. One fact is that
> less people are now employed in manufacturing. See thread title.
> Another fact is that the number of people AND the percent of the
> population employed has also been increasing since 1962.

I don't know what planet you're living on. The official stats for USA, Earth are at bls.gov

US Initial unemployment claims from January to July were 1.3m (vs 1.4m). 
The rate is slowing but if it keeps "stabilizing" at this rate layoffs will cease in 4 years, 
just in time for the next recession.

"Employers initiated 2,041 mass layoff actions in July 2002, as mea-
sured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month,
...the number of workers involved totaled 245,457.  A year earlier, in July 2001, 
there were 2,117 mass layoff events involving 273,807 workers.  From January 
through July 2002, the total number of initial claims, at 1,317,394, was lower 
than January-July 2001 (1,407,980), while the number of events, at 11,843, 
was somewhat higher (11,658)".


IOW, the smaller companies are starting to lay off workers. 

"The monthly data series in this release cover mass layoffs of 50 or
more workers beginning in a given month, regardless of the duration of the
layoffs".


IOW, small company layoffs are invisible to the stats.


"Manufacturing industries accounted for 44 percent of all mass layoff
events and 55 percent of all initial claims filed in July.  A year earlier,
layoffs in this sector accounted for 54 percent of events and 62 percent of
initial claims".
...
"Compared with July 2001, the largest decreases in initial claims were
reported in manufacturing industries.
...
The largest over-the-year increases in initial claims were reported in
educational services (+2,940), food services and drinking places (+2,408),
and general merchandise stores (+2,185)".


IOW, Manufacturing is still being hit hard but because of ABSOLUTE NUMBERS has the largest
decrease in initial claims.

Clearly your politicians who are talking about a recovery are talking garbage and 
BTW if this was a structural change and your politicians were competent and aware then
we wouldn't be seeing layoffs in the educational sector.


>