Manufacturing employment fell by 41,000 in November

[brentspeak]

There's another thread which is attempting to place a smiley-faced spin on the latest unemployment figures, but it's best to simply present the unvarnished truth.

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

Manufacturing employment fell by 41,000 in November. The average monthly
decline for the past 5 months (-46,000) was much lower than the average
monthly job loss for the first half of this year (-171,000). About 2.1 mil-
lion manufacturing jobs have been lost since December 2007; the majority of
this decline has occurred in durable goods manufacturing (-1.6 million).

[Cant trust em]

1. Manufacturing in the US is declining?

I had no idea.

[ProSense]

2. Why do you think this is bad news?

The average monthly decline for the past 5 months (-46,000) was much lower than the average monthly job loss for the first half of this year (-171,000).

[ClarkUSA]

4. lol!

:thumbsup:

[brentspeak]

5. Is 46,000 jobs/lost-month "good" news in your corner of the galaxy?

[Starbucks Anarchist]

Is it worse than 171,000 a month?

:crazy:

[brentspeak]

8. It's not "good" until there's positive net job growth

The current figures are simply "less bad". That's all.

[Starbucks Anarchist]

9. Thank you for stating the obvious.

But job losses are slowing down, which will eventually lead to positive job growth. Considering the current economic climate, "less bad" is a sign of good things to come.

[doc03]

12. You aren't going to create any more manufacturing

jobs by wasting another 100 billion on temporary make work projects for high paid construction workers.

[brentspeak]

15. Wait, are you for a stimulus or against it?

On another thread from last week, you appeared to be for it.

[NightWatcher]

3. I think the "good" jobs numbers come from Part timers hired by Wally World for Christapalooza

I have no proof, just a hunch.

[ClarkUSA]

6. lol! Spinning like a top again? FACT: "Manufacturing areas lead surprise job comeback" (AP link -->)

"Counties with the heaviest reliance on manufacturing income are posting some of the biggest employment gains of the nation's early economic recovery. This is a big change from just half a year ago, when some economists worried that widespread layoffs by U.S. manufacturers might be part of an irreversible trend in that sector..."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=41410&mesg_id=41410

Sorry to burst that bitter doomsday bubble. :hi:

[brentspeak]

7. Given a choice between the actual figures and an AP article which provides no manufacturing numbers

you, of course, choose the AP article.

[Garam_Masala]

10. I am confused (easily done!) How comw employment fell in November

but the unemployment rate dropped from 10.2 to 10%?

Is it because more people gave up looking for jobs?

Or is it because more people died than turned 18 (adults) in November?

[brentspeak]

11. The labor pool figures shrunk

a statistical trick mostly due to job seeker discouragement.

[Peacetrain]

13. The unvarnished truth is we have stopped falling down the rabbit hole.. and that is good

[Undercurrent]

14. Movement in the wrong direction is a bad thing.

Movement in the right direction is a good thing.

This is a good thing.