Have a look at CNBC's front page headline!

[thewiseguy]

"Why a lousy job report could actually help stocks"

http://www.cnbc.com/

Are these fuckers serious? :mad: :puke:

[nadinbrzezinski]

1. Yes they are... in the world of the unregulated wall street

that means less costs

That's why

Now in a well regulated market, and a mixed economy, profits are lower... but wall street does not go nuts either on things that don't make sense to you.

[Idealism]

2. When will people realize that the stock market is not our friend

The 401k's are decimated, and thats the only way most Americans are invested in the market.

Stocks go up when companies make better than expected profits per quarter. They make better than expected profits by (i) producing their goods more efficiently and/or undercutting their competitors- which is hard to do for any length of time, (ii) improving their profit margin- usually by cutting hours or firing workers, or (iii) creating a new, desired product and bringing it to the market.

The easiest of these options is the second- cut hours, employees, benefits, etc.

Hard to think of a new product that people will love that hasn't been done, hard to get greater production out of workers for any sustained periods... but not hard to fire people.

All of these things make the stock go up, because the company's profits go up- which makes the market go up. These things are not good for the workers who had their hours cut or lost their job at the expense of stock holder and corporate profits.

[leftstreet]

4. We're more familiar with DOW numbers than Iraq War Casualty numbers

The world is upside down.

[autorank]

3. This is how they think k*r

You just need to read the first two lines. "The Phillips Curve"

This may not be the reason behind the headline but it's refelctive of how economics
operated for a long time. There's an necessary, therefore acceptable level of unemployment
to hold down inflation.

Sick stuff.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phillips_curve

[OmahaBlueDog]

5. This came up in the Bush I recession

High unemployment equates to lower labor costs, as high dollar employees are forced to take cuts or be replaced by lower wage workers. Also, much of the early waves of layoffs are not merely cost cutting in any company - they are housecleaning. Employers use these occasions to shed workers they perceive as malcontents or marginal producers.

All of this, it is reasoned on Wall Street, helps the bottom line.

[EmilyAnne]

6. The only stocks these asses should be worrying about are the wooden ones that should be holding them

in the middle of Times Square so the unemployed wall streeters and 60 year olds with dried up 401 Ks can pelt them with rotten tomatoes.