1/14/04 :Jobs, jobs, jobs. The latest employment figures were obviously a disappointment to all of us who are waiting for the economic recovery to take hold. The idea that a country with more than 130 million payrolled positions produced only 1,000 new jobs in December is dumbfounding, especially in light of the great economic news coming from so many different sectors. Adding insult to injury, it seems that the only reason the unemployment rate dipped from 5.9% to 5.7% is because people have become disheartened and have stopped searching. What are the market forces telling us? First, Treasury Secretary John Snow's prediction that the economy will produce 200,000 new jobs per month during 2004 shows that he either knows something we don't or he'll be writing a book very soon. Second, it's imperative for us on a microeconomic level to get as creative as possible and start looking to new growth strategies that bring in new employees. Depending on the economists and the government for answers just won't cut it. |