Tuesday (it feels like Monday), the DOW was down Friday but the employment news was very good. The number of jobs were up and the unemployment rate was down. Retail is coming back to life (article attached). Quote from the article: "Stores, gasoline stations, auto dealers and other retailers added a seasonally adjusted 249,000 jobs in August, the Labor Department said Friday. Almost half the growth occurred at general-merchandise stores, a category that includes large employers such as Walmart Inc. and Costco Wholesale Corp. Vendors of electronics, appliances, furniture and garden supplies were among those that added jobs last month."
And wages are rising (second article). It's hard to believe wages are rising with unemployment this high but there are other factors at work. We may be seeing a major demographic shift according to an article in the WSJ parents are quiting work to stay home and educate their children. This could be the largest work place shift since the 60's, 70's, and 80's when women joined the workforce.
Gas at $1.73???