Archive for the ‘Economic Scoreboard’ Category

Economic Scoreboard 12/7/06

Thursday, December 7th, 2006

This week’s wreckage as reported by the local paper:

Sheriff Sales: 240

Help Wanted Ads: 38

Index: 6.3

Trend: 11/16 – 4.7, 11/23 – 5.0, 11/30 – 5.8, 12/6 – 6.3

Remember – an index of 0 is best. Things are getting worse.

Economic Scoreboard 11/30/06

Tuesday, December 5th, 2006

The CR once again bears bad news.

Number of sheriff sales: 256

Number of help wanted ads: 44

Index: 5.8

I’m sure glad the economy is rebounding!

“Black Friday” explained

Friday, November 24th, 2006

I have to give credit to my wife and friend Judy for this idea. She in turn heard various tidbits on NPR and read local newspapers to synthesize her explanation.
Black Friday is the point in the fiscal calendar when a business finally meets all of its expenses and goes ‘into the black’. The outrageous mall rent. Insurance. Minimum wage salaries (and NO BENEFITS) for its horde of ‘part-time’ employees. Cost of good sold (send the check to China, if you please.). Electricity. Advertising. Etc Etc Etc, to quote the king of Siam.
Finally, that greed-possessed mass of brain-washed uber-consumers fills the tills with enough filthy lucre to turn the tide from net loss to net income, and just in the nick of time, too.

What is this tiger whose tail we have grasped so desperately? Will it prove strong enough to pull the majority of Americans into a future of economic well-being?

Nope, sorry. We pay $1 per hour to chinese slave-laborers to make the bulk of our holiday gifts and impulse purchases. We pay central american sweat-shop ladies and girls $.75/hr to make our trendy fashion apparel and must-have geegaws and bling.

Meanwhile, the guy who used to have a $28/hr job at Goodyear or Ford or Republic Steel is eating macaroni and cheese and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while he waits to hear the results of his mortgage foreclosure and his bankruptcy proceedings.

Ho Ho Ho.

Enjoy the spirit of the season.

Economic Scoreboard – 11/23/06

Thursday, November 23rd, 2006

Today’s economic scoreboard from Beautiful Stark County Ohio:

Sheriff sales: 227

Help wanted ads: 45

Index: 5.0

This might look like an improvement over last week, but there were about a dozen foreclosure notices, soon to be sheriff sales.

Another step along the path to the elimination of the middle class and the beginning of feudal society in the 21st century. Who buys all these houses?

The Economic Scoreboard – 11/16/06

Thursday, November 16th, 2006

Thursday’s CR carries this news about the local economy. The news is hidden in plain sight, but is visible to those of us who can count.

Number of Sheriff Sale notices: 275

Number of Help Wanted ads: 58

Index: 4.7

You do the math.

Will the newly elected democratic politicians make a difference here at home?
Like the little dog said after crapping on the porch, ‘That remains to be seen’.