McJobs mistake / Sorry, but burger flipping isn't manufacturing

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette ^ | Saturday, March 13, 2004 | Editorial

[Willie Green]

Since George W. Bush became president the economy has lost 2.8 million factory jobs, but his administration is floating an idea that could dramatically boost manufacturing jobs overnight. It sounds too good to be true. And it is.

The presidential proposition wouldn't actually create any new jobs but would reclassify them and thereby swell job statistics in a declining sector of the economy. Poof! Problem solved.

[gg188]

Those are good points.

However at least in reference to American-made furniture, articles posted in recent months on FR indicate that only high-tariffs are keeping Chinese furniture from taking over the U.S. market. In one article:

Imports make up almost 75 percent of the domestic market for wood and metal furniture, with 41 percent of those imports coming from China, according to a December 2002 research report by UBS Warburg.

[John Lenin]

Hey Willie the Nader campaign is looking for you. Chump!

[petercooper]

Agree with everything you say. Close the borders now to illegals. Stop overtaxing hardworking Americans to death.

Also draining tax dollars - the many many people working o-t-b not paying a nickel in income tax while collecting u/e and being counted in the u/e figures. Infuriating.

[DoughtyOne]

I'm sure there is some back-scratching going on, by the government in relation to who hires these people. I just meant to say they are not forced into it. Still, if there's a tax-break or some other benefit, you're somewhat forced into it to take advantage.

As for your daughter, it seems the things she brings to the table are just not what is being sought these days. It's the main reason why I say that the current economic situation is a blight on this nation. If we're not going to hire our best and brightest, compensating them reasonably, what have we become? What will we be?

Thanks for the comments.

Glad your computer is okay.

[applemac_g4]

>The presidential proposition wouldn't actually create any new
>jobs but would reclassify them and thereby swell job
>statistics in a declining sector of the economy. Poof!
>Problem solved.
>Incredible as it seems, the Bush administration is pointedly
>questioning whether flipping hamburgers should be included in
>jobs associated with factory work or remain classified as
>part of the service sector.

You have got to be kidding me. Is Bush deliberately trying to lose this election?

[DoughtyOne]

LOL, get outa here... that's Mor gan we wanted to know.

[RasterMaster]

Perhaps you were just not listening...or have a hearing disability.

[Wolfie]

You're not going to believe this one.

[Yasotay]

I can hear just fine, Bush clearly has done everything possible to destory manufacturing in America. As Bush gets tongue-tied, you can hear what you want to hear and while Bush may confuse a Big Mac with manufacturing, I don't.

[neutrino]

Bankruptcy filings set record

March 13, 2004

One out of every 73 U.S. households filed for bankruptcy last year, a record high, despite historically low interest rates, the American Bankruptcy Institute said.

"Despite enjoying the sustained benefit of low interest rates, growing numbers of U.S. consumers are facing difficulty in meeting their monthly obligations," ABI Executive Director Samuel Gerdano said.

U.S. households had $10.4 trillion in debt outstanding at the end of last year, although debt accumulation slowed toward year's end, according to data from the Federal Reserve.

Last month, the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts said there were 1,660,245 personal bankruptcies last year. It was a record for any calendar year, but off slightly from the all-time 12-month high reached in the period ended in September.

Reuters

link

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Offshoring is making us rich, rich, rich! Unemployment is down! Pay no attention to those bankruptcies behind the curtain!

[1rudeboy]

That seems to be the intended meaning here.

No, the "intended" meaning is that the President's Council "recommended" the re-designation.

[newgeezer]

No, the "intended" meaning is that the President's Council "recommended" the re-designation.

So, is your point to say that no one connected with the President "proposed" the change, they only "recommended" it?

If so, who proposed the change? (If not, I've no idea what point you're trying to make.)

[Tricorn]

"In some areas, the job base is overwhelmingly service positions paying little more than minimum wage."

If minimum wage service jobs are being created, somebody's gotta be buying the services. Otherwise, the creation of these low paying service jobs doesn't make sense.

[4Liberty]

Moonman 62 - Right on! Will - will you... marry me?
heh heh. Your comments are ab fab.
-an econ prof in Los Angeles

PS: I assign MANKIW's text books to my college students! He's great. You don't teach Econ - do you? :)

[1rudeboy]

The re-designation was "discussed." It was not "recommended," as the editorial suggests (in my opinion) when it uses the word "proposal."