U.S. Job Cuts Rise 8% in July, Hirings Fall

Reuters ^ | Tuesday, August 3, 2004 | Reuters

[Willie Green]

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use.

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Layoffs in the United States rose 8 percent in July from the previous month, a report said on Monday, as the job market recovery struggled to gain momentum.

The outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. said employers announced 69,572 job cuts in July, up from 64,343 in June but down 18 percent from July 2003.

Hiring announcements also declined, but companies do not announce hires as frequently as they announce layoffs. The number of announced hires fell to 26,880, a 30 percent decline from June's 38,377. June hiring announcements fell 31 percent from May.

The upcoming U.S. elections and an apparent sputter in economic growth late in the second quarter seem to be making companies less inclined to hire now, said Rick Cobb, executive vice president at Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

But generally, layoff announcements have been trending lower over the last few years, as economic growth has accelerated, Cobb said.

[Koblenz]

How do you manage to find all these negative articles? Do you have google news alerts send you an email every time there's a new article with the word "layoff" in the article? Does your mailbox overflow? Or do you just do searches in Yahoo News or Google News every 20 minutes for the word Layoff? It just seems like all you ever post here is something with the word in it...

[dighton]

... remember, every silver lining has a cloud.

Keywords Eeyore, Joe Btfsplk.

[BenLurkin]

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBVXQZRGXD.html

[farmfriend]

Every once in a while someone comes up with a really great ad. Most of the time though it seems like Darin from Bewitched thought them up.

[Sofa King]

You're becoming a bit of a joke, Willie.

[Willie Green]

Yeah, well it's really quite flattering to become the target of such shallow commentary.
I interpret it as a positive indicator of my effectiveness.

[Sofa King]

Strange definition of positive

[Willie Green]

When you stick a pig, it squeals.
The more pigs you stick, the more squeals they produce.
After a while, you begin to notice the different tonal qualities.
And when they squeal in unison, the results are quite harmonic and almost musical.

[Sofa King]

So that's why you go around being poked with a stick?

[Willie Green]

Sticks are no match for my pitchfork.

[Sofa King]

You're drowing in metaphors here.

[Willie Green]

'You don't see something until you have the right metaphor to let you perceive it'

~ Robert Stetson Shaw

[Sofa King]

Good to know that metaphors predate perception.

[Warren_Piece]

You must be a real riot at parties.

[Warren_Piece]

Wousy-Wousy-Woo ....

[stands2reason]

Most of the time though it seems like Darin from Bewitched thought them up.

There's a new ad campaign for some compamy (shows how bad it is right there --I have no idea what they're advertising) where somebody is in an awkward situation with someone else, then suddenly shout out, "Thank you!" while the other person turns from angry to inexplicably flattered.

Somebody thought this up, and this company approved it and paid lots of money for this crap. Somebody should be fired -- wait, a lot of somebodies should be fired.

Recent effective campaigns I've seen --Sonic Drive-in, and Sprint PCS.

[stands2reason]

Do you ever see positive articles about Thebusheconomy? If so, why do you never post them?

[Willie Green]

You must be a real riot at parties.

The old lampshade on the head routine isn't my idea of a party.
I prefer more mellow gatherings where I can dance with the women.

[farmfriend]

then suddenly shout out, "Thank you!"

Oh I hate that commercial. Yes, I agree. One of the bad ones.