Yep, we are losing manufacturing sector jobs. Most of these are reported because the jobs in most cases are union jobs---and the various unions see that these losses are reported to the authorities. Although this is not always the case with small manufacturers, who plead ignorance of the law. The raise in the minumum wage has brightened things up a bit for the low wage service sector. And has caused some employers interested in holding their employees to raise wages a bit i.e a big box retailer who was paying $6.00 dollars an hour might raise his wage to $6.25 to reflect the rise in the minumum wage and let his employees know what a generous fellow they work for. :~) Your email pal, Tom L. Thomas Kruse wrote: > >> We read: > > BLS DAILY REPORT, FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1999 > > RELEASED TODAY: In January 1999, there were 2,209 mass layoff actions by > employers as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits > during the month. Each action involved at least 50 persons from a single > establishment, and the number of workers involved totaled 211,796. Both the > number of layoff events and the number of initial claimants for unemployment > insurance were lower in January 1999 than in January 1998. ... > > >> And I wonder: > > Employment may be steady, unemployment low, but these kind of numbers > suggest a lot of turn over. I know that when I have to hustle up work, > living on year-to-year contracts as I do, it is very stressful. Sennett's > recent book illustrates how such hustling makes life pretty miserable. > > Is turnover/instability something you economists study as part of "standard > of living"? > > Tom > > Tom Kruse > Casilla 5812 / Cochabamba, Bolivia > Tel/Fax: (591-4) 248242, 500849 > Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
