I'm Noticing Signs

[ChoppinBroccoli]

I've begun noticing signs that the economy is improving. I believe the economy is proving because of these signs.

Let me start out by backtracking a bit. In 1992, I was a Junior in college. I went home for the summer after my Sophmore year and couldn't find a job anywhere (not even a minimum-wage job in a fast food restaurant--there were simply NO jobs to be had). Of course, the country was in the throes of the George H.W. Bush Recession (one of many Bush Recessions that this country would experience) at the time. After that summer, I returned to college for my Junior year and completely threw myself into the Clinton campaign. Well, we all know what happened. A few months later, he was elected. I was elated, but I was hoping that this would result in some kind of tangible improvement. As it turns out, it didn't take long for me to see the evidence that I was right.

When I returned home from college follwing my Junior year, I immediately went out in search of a summer job. One year later, I saw nothing but business establishments all up and down the main strip of my town with "Now Hiring" signs in the windows. In just a few months, it was a comlete 180-degree shift from the summer before. I ended up getting a good job (for a college student) making more than I expected.

Flash forward to today. Over the last week or so, I've been noticing something similar. It seems like everyplace I go, there are "Now Hiring" signs. Restaurants, stores of all kind, you name it. Now, these aren't great-paying jobs meant for people with advanced educations and lots of experience, but it's a start. When those stores on Main Street all start hiring, it's never long until the better-paying, more advanced jobs start materializing as well.

This is the way it worked out in 1992-93. And I can't help but notice some of the same things happening right now. I don't know much about economics or "economic indicators" or any of that other stuff, but I do know that when every business I pass on the street has a "Now Hiring" sign in the window, that's usually an indicator that things are looking up.

[dkf]

1. Where are you? Has it been bad there in relation to the rest of the country?

[ChoppinBroccoli]

10. I'm In Ohio

A State that has been defecated upon by the Bush Recessions, which were only made worse by the Taft Governorship, and now by the even more inept, bumbling, and downright evil Governorship of John Kasich. Ted Strickland started to get things turned around in his 4 years as Governor only to be summarily voted out of office by people who didn't think he did it fast enough (and people who didn't bother to show up to the polls last year--their NON-vote counted too...........for K-Suck).

[Brigid]

2. I think that sometimes small signs like this can be quite important.

I've been noticing a slight uptick around here in "Now Hiring" signs for jobs similar to the ones you describe, in an area notorious for bad jobs at bad wages, or no jobs at all. Soon enough, we'll see what, if anything, this means.

[Firebrand Gary]

3. Me too...I noticed this the other day.

Last October a mall in my area had a huge fire where half the mall burnt down. Last week (a year later) that mall re opened. We went down to the mall on the day that it reopened and were shocked to find it not only open but all the stores were a buzz with the sound of registers ringing. Let it be noted that this is a huge shopping mall owned by Westfield. There were people everywhere holding bags of purchases, it could have been mistaken for the day after Thanksgiving.

[cyglet]

4. Depends on

how many people are applying for said jobs...

[TBF]

5. It's October - they're hiring for the holiday season. They get rid of them all in Jan.

I wouldn't get too excited about that.

[Pirate Smile]

6. I've got a lot of new residential and commercial construction going on in the areas I drive through

all the time. I noticed it in September when everyone was freaking out about a double dip. I was thinking - I haven't seen this much construction since before the financial crisis. Plus lots of hiring signs. It seemed weird because all the anecdotal evidence I was seeing was contrary to the doom and gloom on TV.

Now, most of the economic indicators have ended up being better then people were expecting so ... I just hope Europe gets its act together for themselves, us and the entire world. That is the one thing that could really just KO the economy.

[Kennah]

7. I have seen it too. More interviewing activity in the last 10 days than in the previous 10 months.

[Merlot]

8. I've noticed something similar in the past few months

I do consulting work and suddenly more businesses are spending money. Not up to full speed, but defiantly more than during the first half of the year.

There seems to be more activity, a little more optimism. I can't figure out what changed or why, but my personal experience agrees with yours.

[Pirate Smile]

9. I saw this post soon after I read yours:

http://www.calculatedriskblog.com/2011/10/jim-realtor-market-is-buzz.html

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2011
Jim the Realtor: "Market is a buzz"
by CalculatedRisk on 10/11/2011 11:40:00 PM


I bring you what I'm hearing - and this is an optimistic outlook from Jim the Realtor in San Diego:

"The (real estate) market is a buzz currently. The action is incredible. Offers flying everywhere. I think the buyers are scrambling knowing that these rates are incredible right now. And I think it is going to be a healthy 4th quarter.
...
I think we get into spring time - if rates are still this low - it’s going to be a real frenzy.