U.S. Layoffs Surge to 17-Month High

Market Watch ^ | 7/6/2005 | Rex Nutting

[Sam the Sham]

An assembly line job enabled someone without a college degree to buy a house and support a family. It had deep roots in the local economy and consumed many other high value added goods and services.

[Black Tooth]

I learned from her to roll with it, suck it up and go to work

That was #5 of post #10.

[IronJack]

It is good for those who own these companies, because they make more profit.

Bing bing bing! We have a winner.

[meadsjn]

How much of that has been created courtesy of public spending?

All of it.

[Feldkurat_Katz]

Just an opportunity for those 100,000 laid-off workers to move into nano-technology...

Nano-technology bump!

Have you considered getting a nanotechnology degree? The opoortunities are there:

http://www.latech.edu/technews/viewnews.cgi?category=1&id=1109264954

"The Louisiana Board of Regents granted final approval Thursday for Louisiana Tech to offer the nanosystems engineering degree program, the first such program in the nation. Tech's new Bachelor of Science degree program will be implemented this fall. According to the National Nanotechnology Initiative -- a federal coordinator of multi-agency efforts in nanoscale science, engineering and technology -- about 20,000 researchers are at work in nanotechnology today, and 2 million workers will be needed within 15 years to support nanotechnology industries worldwide."

[Nowhere Man]

Just an opportunity for those 100,000 laid-off workers to move into nano-technology...
< /sarcasm>

Nano-technology is passe', I think the laid off workers should go into the new field of "black hole engineering" < /huge sarcasm> B-P

[hedgetrimmer]

You forgot one.

What if the government protected the jobs of buggy whip manufacturers?

[ARCADIA]

the new field of "black hole engineering"

It sounds familiar. Is that related to public sector budgeting?

[ARCADIA]

What if the government protected the jobs of buggy whip manufacturers?

Given the current price of crude, it would have been a sage move.

[Nowhere Man]

I found the Free Trade 8-Track they use all the time when we point out their ideas are wrong.



Maybe when the CAFTA Depression hits, hopefully I can still afford an 8-Track in my "mobile workforce vehicle."

< /sarcasm>

[TopDog2]

Wait until they put the BIG squeeze on black hole engineers! ;-)

[Nowhere Man]

I found the Free Trade 8-Track they use all the time when we point out their ideas are wrong.



Maybe when the CAFTA Depression hits, hopefully I can still afford an 8-Track in my "mobile workforce vehicle."



B-P

[ran15]

How much of that has been created courtesy of public spending?

Its hard to say, but the main driver has been an increase in productivity. An accountant for example using a computer accounting program can simply get more work done in the same amount of time, then the old pen and paper style.

[Nowhere Man]

Sorry about the double post, FR choaked on me for a sec.

[infidel dog]

Sad but true wisdom, me boyos. You really hit the nail on the head as far as living in our "post-industrial" wonder economy is concerned. In fact, you hammer so well you would make fine skilled craftsmen in any American furniture company. Oh, gee, I forgot. That manufacturing stuff...it's so last century...

[ran15]

Does McDonald's pay the same rate as the average assembly line job? Would you like to make up the difference out of your pocket? Perhaps, that is what they are complaining about.

Ultimatley there is only supply and demand. So if the same skill job in the same area, has someone making 3 times as much.. then the higher one is aritificially being inflated. Or the lower one is a temporary phenomenon. Which in most cases is true of the McD's and Wally world jobs. Walmart loses 40% of its associates every year. People are using it as a means to get on their feet before going on to other things.

We could turn McD's and Wally world into union jobs that payed 25 or 30 dollars an hour easily. But its my belief consumption would fall off because of the higher prices, and unemployment would rise. Effectively we would be in the old Europe situation with 10% unemployment and probably 20% underemployment. With little chance of advancement for people in society, and a middle class paycheck just not buying much.

If we used American measures for below the poverty line, between 40 and 50% of old Europe's population is below it.

[ran15]

An assembly line job enabled someone without a college degree to buy a house and support a family. It had deep roots in the local economy and consumed many other high value added goods and services.

We have to ask why someone at the bottom end can't do that too. Its my belief that what is happening is artificial shortages are being created in areas of the economy, that are making a small percentage of society rich, while holding others down.

For example the government limiting supply of real estate in many areas. The limits on the number of doctors around, and by law having to go through them to get medication, the limit on lawyers, making even simple legal work extremely expensive... And highly protected unions and regulated monopolies in utilities.

As long as shortages exist it will always be an arms race in price, with the bottom 20% left behind. Or whatever percentage the shortage is regulated at.

[listenhillary]

Said like a true blue shielded public employee, or a guy who inherited his position from his daddy. Opportunity lost is just that, there is still things to do out there, but it is less then it use to be and that is the key point.

So get up and do something about it instead of whine. Help elect Hillary or something. At least you'll FEEL better.

[listenhillary]

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rls=GGLD,GGLD:2003-39,GGLD:en&q=Custom+made+furniture

[ARCADIA]

So get up and do something about it instead of whine. Help elect Hillary or something. At least you'll FEEL better.

You are doing a better job of that then I am. I am just trying to go the other way while there is still time.