Jobs

Why You Should Be Thrilled the WTO Doha Talks Collapsed

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There is something stinky in the the WTO trade agreements. Very Stinky.

The United States is trading away American jobs. This isn't by proxy, this is literally trading away American jobs to be done by foreign guest workers.

You've probably never even heard about it. There is this little something called GATS, mode 4 under WTO trade rules. What is GATS mode 4 you ask? Well, click on the link where I overview it. In a nutshell the WTO thinks it's a grand idea to trade education and services. Services means people. Yup, trading people.

Manufacturing Monday: Tax bill to spur jobs, and a costs eat into Dow

It seems Congress is looking into getting the tax code to work in bringing jobs here. Also, on the inflation front, Dow Chemical is reporting that material costs have become a financial tumor. Folks, welcome to another edition of Manufacturing Monday!

You bring the jobs, and we'll lower your taxes!

Back in 2004, then-presidential candidate, John Kerry, proposed a tax plan to promote manufacturing jobs. Essentially if you hired a certain number of American workers, that you as an employer, would receive a tax credit. There was a graduated system, depending on how many you employed.

Why the push to failure?

Failure in war can be a bad thing. Failure in business can be a personal loss, and in some instances a detriment to the economy. With the recent calamity hitting the two largest mortgage lenders, not to mention other large American business concerns, it seems to a select few that failure is indeed a viable and good option.

A gamble with very high stakes is being openly promoted by adherents to a free-market orthodoxy. These individuals, gaming on anger and the perceived loss of utility of these given enterprises, are pushing the public onto this wager.

Manufacturing Monday: Guess whose making the Prius now? Oh and VWs too!

Call it a positive effect on the falling US Dollar. Along with an increase activity by domestic manufacturers, foreign companies are now expanding their operations here in the US. Now, yes I understand that ultimately the money goes back overseas, but they are hiring folks who needed jobs. To me, that last part is what counts.

It's official, Toyota will make the Prius in the US!

Manufacturing Monday: Belgium drinks up Budweiser

Now you may be asking, Budweiser? What's all this then? I thought you handled manufacturing stuff, you know gears, plastics and metal thingies? Yes we do, but here is something to keep in mind as to why food is also covered. When they (being the mainstream media) has a manufacturing story, sometimes they include that little nugget "yet America is still the largest manufacturer." Sounds crazy, I mean look around in stores, it seems like everything is made in China. Yet, this often-used tidbit is used because when this country calculates manufacturing, processed foods gets included. Yes..that's right, those chicken nuggets and mac 'n' cheese microwavable meals are considered "domestic manufacturing." And you know what else is also? Beer!

UPDATE : Manufacturing Monday: Jobs, Jobs, Jobs!


(UPDATE NOTE: New economic data released, see below!)

The Democrats are finally going after McCain's jugular. That is, his economic policies. Oh sure, we all know he's Mister War, and that is one of his weak links too. But the economy, in particular the jobs situation, that will help propel Barack Obama into the White House.

The DNC responds to McCain's Jobs First campaign restart.

The Democratic National Committee finally released their response to John Airbus McCain's reboot of his half-ass presidential campaign under a "Jobs First" theme. But slightly off topic for just a brief second, can anyone tell me how the hell this man hasn't even been replaced by Cheney yet with someone else?? Shit, Viagra whore, Bob Dole, ran a better campaign than this! Ok, back on topic.

I can think of 62,000 reasons why John Stossel is wrong!

Why oh why does this man irritate me so? Now don't get me wrong, John Stossel is probably a nice man. But for a man who can garner audiences, he is "dangerous" (well not really, but the guy's on TV and he is on the ra-ra free market Right's side promulgating this crap) with his half ass grasp on our economy. Recently, on Daily Kos's evil twin, he wrote up a piece on how the economy really isn't doing bad. That it was all media hype.

Manufacturing Monday: Steel looks chirpy, while China faces some woes

Some interesting stuff happening in the manufacturing sector. The US Dollar, despite the President's claim today that he wants a strong currency, continues to drop. Rising material costs, be it ore or petroleum, has had some unintended consequences. I noted on Daily Kos last week, that many businesses are starting to take a second look at the US given the rise in transportation costs.

Domestic steel looking not too shabby

Job Losses, Wages Worsened - No End in Sight

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Loss of jobs and real wages worsened in May with no end in sight; an ominous sign for financially strapped households.

 

Today’s BLS jobs report revises down their previous estimate of the number of jobs in March and April (by a total of -15k) and shows another loss of -49k jobs in May. Indeed, local governments kept adding jobs in May while the number of private sector jobs fell by -66k.

Widespread local government budget shortfalls for the fiscal year ahead will soon eliminate this much-needed, tax-payer-dependent source of job growth. 

 Over the past 12 months, the private sector has added only 16k jobs despite the fact that bars and restaurants added 227k and private education and health services added another 577k jobs. That is, excluding bars, restaurants and private education and health care, the private sector in the US has lost roughly 800k jobs over the past year.

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