Monday, August 30, 2010

Retail Trade Bubble



October 22, 2007
Retail Trade Employment

What's going on? Why is it peaking like that and seemingly heading down into the abyss? It is starting to look like what happened to farming and manufacturing jobs when technology and outsourcing appeared.

Not to be alarmist, but if the percentage was at 1962 levels then there would be an additional 5 million people unemployed.

The process of delving into the black abyss is to me the keenest form of fascination. - H. P. Lovecraft

Don't worry. Based on today's stock market activity, I was simply looking for any excuse to quote Lovecraft. That's all.



All right. Move On. Nothing to see here. Please disperse. Nothing to see here. Please.

See Also:
The Future of Employment

Source Data:
St. Louis Fed: All Employees: Retail Trade
St. Louis Fed: Population: Mid-Month
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6 comments:

  1. EconomicDisconnectAugust 30, 2010 at 5:27 PM

    I thought jobs were a bonus for the "New Economy" but not needed. What gives?
    snark ON

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousAugust 30, 2010 at 5:39 PM

    I am waiting for the first offshore warehouse to be used for amazon.com or walmart.com.

    I am imaging a warehouse in souther China that picks and packs from a huge variety of products that are sourced locally. Then the picked and packed items are put into a UPS container to be shipped to the UPS facility where they are routed onto trucks.

    I probably am not the first person to think of this...is it the 4-6 weeks law that is stopping this?

    BTW, all the major stores have large China offices that take over more and more of the retailing brains - like merchandising. Note, though, that WalMart closed some of their China offices recently.

    One other spot of interest: haircuts now cost less in the USA than in Taiwan. Though, haircut in Taiwan includes a wash.

    Coba

    ReplyDelete
  3. Stagflationary MarkAugust 30, 2010 at 6:09 PM

    GYSC,

    Jobs is very important! Isn't that good enough? What will that guy think up next?

    Apple's iWheel

    ReplyDelete
  4. Stagflationary MarkAugust 30, 2010 at 6:23 PM

    Coba,

    September 11, 1996
    Instant Gratification Sped Up

    ReplyDelete
  5. TroyAugust 31, 2010 at 7:38 PM

    Apple drop-shipped my iPad straight from the factory.

    FedEx can bulk-customs the entire load in one scan now apparently.

    As for retail, the way I see it the 2003-2006 period featured a $400B/yr stimulus via the home ATM, and at $40K per job that's TEN MILLION jobs with their oxygen cut off.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Stagflationary MarkSeptember 1, 2010 at 11:50 AM

    Troy,

    ...that's TEN MILLION jobs with their oxygen cut off.

    I'm going to regret saying this (again), but I can never pass up a pun opportunity.

    It's youths in Asia.

    ReplyDelete