[lbo-talk] jobs

[gboozell at juno.com]

Is there any index that tracks the quality of jobs gained or
lost?  For instance, what's the average pay for the
112,000 jobs added in January?  What percentage of these jobs
would land a worker in the middle class?  Or does one make educated
guesses based on the sector of the economy which produced the
stats?

Greg Boozell

On Fri, 6 Feb 2004 11:22:12 -0500 Doug Henwood <dhenwood at panix.com>
writes:
> Another disappointing U.S. employment report this morning. With a 
> headline gain of 112,000 in the establishment survey, it was better 
> 
> than last month's dismal 1,000 gain (which was, by the way, revised 
> 
> up to 16,000), but it's still about half long-term average gains, 
> and 
> a third the gain we'd be seeing in a normal recovery spurt. About 
> three-quarters of the gains were in retail; few other sectors showed 
> 
> significant gains (and a small majority of sectors actually shrank). 
> 
> Manufacting contracted for the 42nd consecutive month, a performance 
> 
> with no historical precedent since monthly numbers began in 1939. 
> Slack labor markets are taking their toll on pay; average hourly 
> earnings were up a very weak 0.1%. December-January comparisons are 
> 
> complicated by the most extreme seasonal adjustment challenges of 
> the 
> year, but the job market remains quite weak.
> 
> Doug
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