Factories rev up, but hiring doesn't

[FreakinDJ]

John W. Schoen, Senior Producer

A healthy pickup in production of manufactured goods last month added to the gathering momentum for the U.S. economy. So far, that growth has done little to help the job prospects for the millions of factory workers still sidelined by the 2007 recession.

U.S. factories continued to ramp up production of manufactured goods in December as stronger demand for business equipment and vehicles followed other signs that the economic recovery gained steam in the last three months of 2011. The Federal Reserve said Wednesday that its widely followed manufacturing index rose by 0.9 percent in December, the biggest gain in a year. The overall output of the nation's factories, mines and utilities expanded by 0.4 percent in December; utilities cut back output as relatively warm weather held back demand for energy in much of the country.

Even if the pace of growth holds up, job prospects for factory workers haven’t kept pace with the pickup in factory output. Manufacturing output, as measured by the Fed’s industrial production index, has rebounded 14 percent since it bottomed at the end of recession. But employment levels for factory workers are up only 3 percent from the post-recession bottom.



http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/18/10183148-factories-rev-up-but-hiring-doesnt

[xchrom]

1. Du rec. Nt

[maggiesfarmer]

2. this makes sense. i think a lot of US manufacturers are operating below capacity. until they reach

capacity (still a way's off), they won't start re-hiring

[laundry_queen]

3. They're milking their current workers for everything they're worth

Probably making those workers work 60 hour weeks to keep up and refusing to hire any new workers.

And those workers WILL work because they are scared shitless to lose their jobs.

This is the new business plan. Sweatshops! wheeee!