From the category archives:

Markets

It should be noted that unemployment “stabilized” in November and if the trend continues, we should see the rebound starting to take place.

Lawrence H. Summers, President Obama’s top economic advisor, predicted on Sunday that by the spring the ranks of working Americans will start to grow once again.

via Summers Predicts Job Growth by Spring - NYTimes.com.

Jobs should continue to be lost, but at fewer rates, and at some point, the “leaner” firms will have to refill the spots that they lost due to the shrinking economy. When that happens, as simple logic tells us, job growth will hit the “zero point” and be positive thereafter.

It may not be much consolation for those who have lost their jobs, or those that have not been able to find work after graduation or being unemployed, but the economic situation has forced forward thinking firms to focus on sustained competitive advantage and ensuring costs are in line with their offerings. Peter Drucker would have recommended firms focus on innovation and investment in the future within these “uncertain times,” and those that have, will be poised for growth and ultimately the creation of jobs.

I would expect, as might seem like common sense, to see larger more innovative firms already starting to hire, and more staid industry leaders to follow suit when economic indicators are more favorable.

And this should come as welcome news to many.

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If technology and systems didn’t come so naturally, I really believe that I would have become an economist. I just find it fascinating. The “business information systems” major was such a perfect fit for my abilities, that I didn’t really think twice about selecting it when I was choosing my major at Lehigh. But, as I continue to read up on the current economic climate, work in an industry where consumer confidence greatly matters to our offerings, and I uncover little gems like this article by John Tierney, I realize that my interests run far deeper than technology and design. I wonder if I should have studied more micro and macro economic principles than the 4 semesters I ended up with…

“Maybe, sometimes, old-fashioned economics is just about right,” Dr. Shayo says. “Maybe when it comes to food, people do have reasonably stable preferences. Some people like shrimp and some don’t, even if it’s worth a lot of money.” [via NY Times]

Check out the article. It’s a rather interesting read about consumer preferences and how price affects those preferences. Oh, how I fondly remember those indifference curves and plotting consumer preferences…

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Job Drought in U.S. May Be Near End as Temporary Help, Working Hours Surge  — The worst U.S. employment slump in the post-World War II era may be about to end as companies hasten to hire temporary workers and boost hours, according to economists such as John Ryding and Zach Pandl. [Bloomberg]

G.E. Makes It Official: NBC Will Go to Comcast — After nearly nine months of negotiations, Comcast, the nation’s largest cable operator, announced an agreement on Thursday to acquire NBC Universal from the General Electric Company. [NY Times]

Geithner Sees `Progress’ in Job Market, Unemployment Below 10% in a Year  — Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner predicted the U.S. unemployment rate probably will be lower than 10 percent in a year and said the economic recovery is moving closer to a period of job creation instead of losses. [Bloomberg]

World’s tallest building, Burj Dubai Tower, opens as a golden era closes — Dubai Tower opens next month. But will this crowning jewel also be the city’s high watermark? [CS Monitor]

Dubai Loses `Sovereign Halo’ as $3.5 Billion Nakheel Debt Deadline Looms  — Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum wanted to turn Dubai into a global hub for finance and tourism, the next London or Hong Kong. To help execute his vision, the ruler relied heavily on Dubai World, the web of state-owned companies that includes everything from DP World, which operates 49 ports across the globe, to property developer Nakheel to investment arm Istithmar World. [Bloomberg]

Celgene Cancer Pill to Triple Sales on Threat to J&J — Celgene Corp. can more than triple sales for its best-selling cancer pill Revlimid on new data that may convince doctors to choose the drug as a first option over Johnson & Johnson’s intravenous medicine, Velcade. [Bloomberg]

Sony Chief Pushes Online Plan for Recovery — Sony’s chief executive, Howard Stringer, has a grand idea: an all-in-one online network that pipes Sony’s films, music, games and other content to its TVs, Walkmans and PlayStation game machines. [NY Times]

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In the strongest jobs report since the recession began two years ago, the nation’s employers all but stopped shedding jobs in November, the government reported on Friday, and they appeared to be on the verge of finally rebuilding the work force.

Dollars !
Creative Commons License photo credit: pfala

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I.B.M. Profit Exceeds Wall Street Forecasts

18 July 2009 Economy

International Business Machines has long been viewed as a barometer for corporate technology spending. And its second-quarter results, announced after the close of the market on Thursday, provided another encouraging sign for the technology sector. Yet I.B.M.’s performance, analysts say, is probably an indication that the company’s strategic steps in recent years are paying off, […]

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Weekly Round Up

3 July 2009 Alternative Energy

For Modest Earners, Relief Repaying Student Loans – Repaying a student loan could soon be a little less painful. Starting this week, anyone with a federal student loan can apply for a program, run by the Department of Education, that caps monthly payments based on income, and forgives remaining balances after 25 years. Those choosing […]

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Tech Payoff for Companies Remains Elusive, Study Finds

22 June 2009 Markets

A recent post to the New York Times Bits blog has a very news-worthy byline. “A new economic index paints a disheartening picture for technophiles — at least the ones inside corporate America” it reads. The article continues to paint a bleak picture for firms that are investing hundred’s of millions of dollars into technology […]

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Stocks Fluctuate on FedEx, Inflation Reports

17 June 2009 Economy

A cautious forecast from FedEx Corp. and a downgrade of 18 banks from a credit rating agency are giving investors new reasons to worry about the economy.
Stocks fluctuated Wednesday after FedEx issued a weak profit forecast and downbeat comments about the economy. Analysts look to shipping companies’ business as a gauge of the economy’s strength. FedEx’s […]

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Investors, Mindful of Negative Data, Sell Holdings

17 June 2009 Economy

Worry About Rebound Lowers Stocks
Investors continued to sell off stocks on Tuesday, as commodity prices fell and new economic data dashed hopes for an imminent rebound. New figures showing a 1.1 percent decline in industrial production reinforced that view, and blunted the impact of other, more positive economic numbers.
“You have a one-two punch that works against the […]

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Housing starts rise in May

16 June 2009 Economy

Builders take out more permits to build than expected; still trail prior years badly.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — The nation’s builders boosted their production in May, starting new housing units at an annualized rate of 532,000, up 17.2% from the revised estimate of 454,000 in April.
The data release, a monthly report from the Census Bureau, also revealed that building permits […]

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