With Companies Still Gloomy, Payrolls Shrink by Thousands

The New York Times ^ | January 11, 2003 | DANIEL ALTMAN

[hinckley buzzard]

Historically, a rise in temporary employment has been a reliable short term leading indicator of economic recovery. It means that there is increasing work but just beginning to outgrow existing employment levels.

If Demosthenes' parents' business continues to thrive it will mean good things on the job front fairly soon. (assuming no intervening economic disruptions, of course, not a real safe assumption...)

[waterstraat]

Historically, a rise in temporary employment has been a reliable short term leading indicator of economic recovery. It means that there is increasing work but just beginning to outgrow existing employment levels. If Demosthenes' parents' business continues to thrive it will mean good things on the job front fairly soon. (assuming no intervening economic disruptions, of course, not a real safe assumption...)

You are right about the concept, but that is not what is happening. Demosthenes parents are an anolmaty(sic). The overall pattern of "temporary work", eg. EDS, Compuware, Kelly Services, Perot, and other temporary contract services are still laying off by the tens of thousands.

December was a very poor and worse month for "temporaries".

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

There are so many fat, stupid, lazy paper shuffling, "How do I do an e-mail attachment of my dog's picture?

Based on the recent upheaveal about the policeman in TN killing the dog, I would say you are just about right. What is really important doesn't matter any more.

[waterstraat]

Based on the recent upheaveal about the policeman in TN killing the dog, I would say you are just about right. What is really important doesn't matter any more.

I dont understand your point??

I saw that dog. I saw the video. It was a small dog, with its tail wagging, slowly walking in a round about manner in the grass by the car, not threatening to anyone or attacking anyhone at all. I would not have been threatened by that small little non-aggressive dog with its tail wagging.

[RLK]

The article said MILLIONS, NOT "hundreds of thousands".

That's millions cumulative arrived at at tens or hundreds of thousands per month or others short period.

[RLK]

The had better think twice … it is probably illegal for a Chinese Corporation to employ a foreigner – except as a spy.

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It's not illegal unless things have changed. When the Chinese began their economic and scientific build-up program the Chinese goverment contacted me to come there to work as a research and development engineer/scientist at a good salary. If you are tops in your field the Chinese government will track you and contact you. I elected not to go. But the Chinese don't want to hire the kinds of American idiots who are brokering American destruction. They are useless goofs here and they would be useless goofs there.

[RLK]

Creative destruction is the heart of the American market-based economy. You must be one who is doing the “creative destruction.” Many others like myself, however, are the ones being “creatively destroyed.” How nice that we have such a diverse “market-based economy.”

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The creative destruction bit is one of an array of cliches that mindless hack employ as a rote reflex. When they want to say something they reach up their behinds and pull one out.

[RLK]

Unless the economy turns around THIS year, Bush will be a one term president like his father.

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If Bush is going to do what he is doing to this nation, excluding the diversion of bombing ragheads, why should he be preferable to a Democrat? Neither I nor others should tolerate a moron in the White House just because he calls himself a Republican.

[RLK]

Really? Good. About 25% of the people I see should be sucking on pebbles to fight hunger pains. There are so many fat, stupid, lazy paper shuffling, "How do I do an e-mail attachment of my dogs picture?" oxygen thieve that believe their employer owes them a total stress free, Zen state, self- esteem fulfillment experience

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...and the globalistic multiculturalistic concept is made to service them. Right now the Republicans are just as supportive of it as the Democrats.

[MeneMeneTekelUpharsin]

I dont (sic) understand your point??

I know. Many people these days don't because their priorities are totally inverted from what they should be. First, God is most important along with His will for us found in the Bible. If that is not right, nothing else will be. Next, people are more important than animals. When we start making animals more important than people, then we start treating people like animals and animals like people.

What part of "Certain things are MORE important than getting upset over an injustice to a dog." do you NOT understand?

[PatrioticAmerican]

#1 - The most important part of the story.

[PatrioticAmerican]

I live in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, the southern most part of the Denver area. We have been labeled as the richest county in the US by income, the most expensive homes on average, and......the highest percentage of delinquent loans and foreclosures in the country.

I believe the numbers are that 60% of all homes are one month late, 23% are two months, with a foreclosure rate of 7%. If true, I believe it is because the tech sector sucks and 65% of people living here participate in that sector.

[PatrioticAmerican]

"Move to the jobs."

You mean move to Mexico, India, or China?

[PatrioticAmerican]

#36 - Excellent points. A bad economy can change everything to the left, adn for decades to come.

[RLK]

I believe the numbers are that 60% of all homes are one month late, 23% are two months, with a foreclosure rate of 7%.

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I think what you are describing is the tip of an iceberg that is occuring across the broad spectrum of the economy.

[RLK]

"Move to the jobs." You mean move to Mexico, India, or China?

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In many cases relocation is a prohibitively expensive venture to a new area that is no more economically stable that the area one leaves.

[waterstraat]

I know. Many people these days don't because their priorities are totally inverted from what they should be. First, God is most important along with His will for us found in the Bible. If that is not right, nothing else will be. Next, people are more important than animals. When we start making animals more important than people, then we start treating people like animals and animals like people.

I agree with what you say here quoted above, but I would not have shot that dog, and I would not have shot your dog, even if I saw your dog walking around like that one did.

[tucents]

In those industries where the cost of labor is the primary difference in the cost of producing a good and getting it to market, production will shift to the producer who has lower labor cost. This shift is accelerated in a world where barriers to trade are coming down. If all other factors remain constant, this will lead to a decrease in revenue to businesses that pay relatively higher wages to comparable workers, resulting in a contraction of those businesses and more unemployment.
The benefit of this to consumers, assuming all other factors (personal income, for example) remain constant, is a higher standard of living as the cost of goods fall.

[Demosthenes]

you guys are missing something, it isn't just the family business that's doing well.

The national retail chain I work for is also up double digits in gross profits over last year. There are a lot of companies in this country who failed to meet PROJECTED earnings, and that's being construed as BAD news. Ignore the fact that their profit margin was only 12% instead of 15% like they promised wall street.

by comparison, anything that isnt a tech boom, no matter how profitable, will appear to people to be success, but not "real" success....you know, what is the gauge anymopre for a healthy economy? Whose opinion do you trust?

One other thing...the temp industry has never taken jobs away from perm employees, and only in extremely rares cases has it prevented an employer from hiring perms over temps. Temps are hired to fill production shortages, and often become perm labor after a probationary period. In some small factories, temps are used exclusively to remove the burden of payroll and tax responsibility from the management, who is opften times too small to handle it all.

[Demosthenes]

read #59....