U.S. Small Businesses Cut Jobs For Third Straight Month In August: Survey

U.S. small business owners trimmed jobs in August for the third month in a row, though the rate of decline continued to moderate, a survey released on Thursday showed.

The poll by the National Federation of Independent Business found the average number of net new jobs declined by 0.08 workers per firm in August, after a decline of 0.15 in July.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, 12 percent of owners added an average of 3.1 workers per firm. But that was tempered by the 14 percent who reduced an average 2.7 workers per firm.

The remaining 74 percent of owners made no net change in employment, according to the NFIB poll of 926 respondents.

The poll comes the day before the more comprehensive U.S. nonfarm payrolls report which is expected to show the economy added 75,000 jobs in August.

"The prospects for a good jobs report are dim," the NFIB said in its report.

On a seasonally adjusted basis, a net 5 percent of owners are planning to create new jobs over the next three months, up from 2 percent in July.

"These are more favorable signals for job creation in the coming months but are still historically weak readings," the report said.

(Reporting by Leah Schnurr; Editing by Padraic Cassidy)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[2Patriotic4U]

04:17 PM on 09/10/2011

Obama Administration Pushes Gibson to Kill American Jobs

More than 14 million Americans are unemployed, and it looks like Obama wants to increase those numbers by closing down Gibson Guitar factories in Tennessee in order to send jobs overseas.

Obama's Justice Department authorized the raid, and cost Gibson more than $1 million in lost profits, because the company was forced to shut down production and send hundreds of works home-after they were interrogated by Homeland Security.

Obama's Justice Department is claiming that Gibson violated Indian law by importing ebony and rosewood fingerboards that were not 100% manufactured in India.

Had the fingerboards been manufactured solely in India, and not finished in America, the product would be legal. So, it looks as though Obama wants to ban the "Made in the USA" label, by sending all of our manufacturing jobs overseas.

Many have speculated that Obama's Justice Department is attacking Gibson because they operate non-union manufacturing plants, and their CEO, Henry Juszkiewicz, is a big contributor to Republican candidates.

Gibson Guitar's top competitors -- who are unionized and big supporters of Obama - have not been raided, and they, too, import unfinished rosewood and ebony fingerboards from India.

According to the Wall Street Journal, "Federal agents first raided Gibson factories in November 2009. ... Gene Nix, a wood product engineer at Gibson, was questioned by agents after the first raid and told he could face five years in jail."

[Janine547]

08:07 AM on 09/03/2011

Trickle up economics don't appear to be working.

[Stewart Goss]

03:51 AM on 09/03/2011

Obama is just another in a long line of leaders who believes he can create the perfect society and an economic paradise by dictating the terms to everyone else.

As you can see, all his plans have failed dismally. He can't even stand on his own record but has to blame everyone else.

[goodmarina]

02:22 PM on 09/02/2011

But wait ... shouldn't the tax cuts that started back in 2000 and extended through 2012 December have been creating more JOBS?

It has always been pushed as the holy-grail of economic & job creation methods by Republicans.   

Why hasn't it worked?

After all -- this mess started (for anyone who really paid attention) as early as the 1st quarter of 2006.

[Stewart Goss]

03:49 AM on 09/03/2011

There is a lot more to an economy than tax cuts. Government spending is an enormous component because it takes money out of the productive private sector. That has doubled in the last 10 years.

When you have less people working in the private sector supporting more government workers it stands to reason that there will be diminished economic growth.

[wmnorton]

01:04 PM on 09/03/2011

Not a valid assesment. The government does not take tax money or borrow money and then hoard it. That is all being done by the private sector. When government gets any money they put it back out into the economy as soon as they can. The only exception is Clinton who used some of the tax money to pay off National Debt. The spending as a percent of GDP is not because the spending has increased that dramatically it is because the economy is stagnate, and the government has been willing to extend the safety net programs for millions of people. Also 1/2 of the spending was in relation to the GDP increasing by 150% over that same 10 year period. It should be noted that during the first GW Bush Recession in 2002 the Republicans did not extend any of the safety net programs so it appeared that the unemployement rate came down fairly fast, but if you look at the percentage of people that were employeed you will find that the percenatage fell from 65% to 62%, that represents about 9 million jobs that went away and never came back but were lost in the statistics.

[bigotboy]

10:53 AM on 09/05/2011

The tax cuts ARE working. If it wasn't for the tax cuts we would have unemployment at 25%. ( This is a corollary of the theory that the stimulus has saved 300 billion jobs, or whaterver number the Administration wants to make up)

[jkarins576]

01:30 PM on 09/02/2011

No jobs until 2012 until this useles president is gone. How is the hope and change going.How about that great subsidized solar company in Mass. going bankrupt another 500 million of tax payers money.Obama doesn't have a clue.The great society is failing because of the liberal
agenda. Sorry liberals we can't afford your programs any longer.

[fourtruth]

01:04 PM on 09/02/2011

I agree this is dim and nothing to write home about or shout about - but could we please at least "write" articles that reflect the facts.

The 2nd paragraph says net NEW job growth declined from .15 to .08 - that still leaves NET NEW JOBS CREATED = POSITIVE .07.

The 3rd paragraph says 12% ADDED 3.1 and 14% cut 2.7. - last time I checked math still worked this way - 3.1 minus 2.7 leaves a POSITIVE new jobs ADDED of .5.

None of the paragraphs in this article substantiate the headline or the lead in paragraph.

I agree with wmnorton below - supply and demand - just that simple.

Republicans removed "demand", being "a well paid labor force" from the equation with 'supply side trickle down' and now we expect something different than what we have? And much of the population still buys into this voodoo math?
-------------------------------


wmnorton Moderate where moderate used to be 195 Fans Become a fan Unfan
1 hour ago (11:28 AM)

Small business is what drives the economy, demand drives small business. Just that simple.

[Moose Luck 99]

11:35 AM on 09/02/2011

http://www.redstate.com/aglanon/2011/08/31/doj-advises-gibson-guitar-to-export-labor/

DOJ Advises Gibson Guitar to Export Labor to Madagascar

Posted by Ben Howe (Profile)

Wednesday, August 31st at 11:16PM EDT
39 Comments

The Gibson Guitar saga has taken a sinister turn.

It seems that the Department of Justice wasn’t satisfied with merely raiding the law abiding factories of Gibson Guitar with armed agents, shutting down their operation costing them millions, and leaving the American company in the dark as to how to proceed without going out of business.

Now, according to CEO Henry Juszkiewicz, agents of the United States government are bluntly informing them that they’d be better off shipping their manufacturing labor overseas.

In an interview with KMJ AM’s “The Chris Daniel Show,” Juszkiewicz revealed some startling information

CHRIS DANIEL: Mr. Juszkiewicz, did an agent of the US government suggest to you that your problems would go away if you used Madagascar labor instead of American labor?

HENRY JUSZKIEWICZ: They actually wrote that in a pleading.

CHRIS DANIEL: Excuse me?

HENRY JUSKIEWICZ: They actually wrote that it a pleading.

CHRIS DANIEL: That your problems would go away if you used Madagascar labor instead of our labor?

HENRY JUSKIEWICZ: Yes

So the government attacked them in the first place by citing obscure regulations that probably weren’t violated about importation of wood. Now they are suggesting that all these problems would go away if they simply exported their labor.

[VoteThemAllOut]

05:21 PM on 09/02/2011

Another example of the 'Glorious Leader' at his best in destroying jobs here. All praise the 'Glorious Leader' and his minions.

[Moose Luck 99]

11:30 AM on 09/02/2011

http://www.naturalnews.com/033454_Gibson_Guitar_armed_raid.html

Federal gestapo illegally raid Gibson Guitar factories, arbitrarily confiscate millions of dollars worth of wood used to make instruments

Monday, August 29, 2011 by: Ethan A. Huff, staff writer

(NaturalNews) Due process under the law and assumed innocence before being proven guilty a

For the second time in two years, armed federal agents have illegally raided the manufacturing facilities of Gibson Guitars Corp., this time confiscating more than a million dollars worth of imported wood and ebony -- and they did so without proper notice or warning, without any valid reason, and without lawful charges of any kind.

Gibson, one of the world's premier guitar manufacturers, and a company that has continually tried to honestly and readily abide by domestic and international laws concerning its material sourcing while continuing to provide quality products to its customers, has for some reason landed in the cross fire of the federal gestapo
the heavy hand of a bloated and out-of-control government has decided to unlawfully target the company for extinction.

According to a recent press statement made by Henry Juszkiewicz, Gibson's Chairman and CEO, armed marshals stormed the company's Nashville, Tenn., and Memphis, Tenn., manufacturing facilities on August 24, and proceeded to evacuate the buildings, shut down production, order all employees to go home, and steal more than a million dollars worth of rosewood and ebony that had been legally imported from India.

[wmnorton]

11:28 AM on 09/02/2011

Small business is what drives the economy, demand drives small business. Just that simple. For everything the government does to stimulate the economy you have to ask "How does this increase demand?" If the answer is well it doesn't then it will not stimulate the economy. That is why cutting taxes at the top never stimulaters the economy, and raiseing taxes at the top will not depress the economy. What is needed with taxes is to double the Standard Deuction, Raise the taxes on income above $500K to pay for it. Raise the Capital gains taxes back to where they were under Clinton. cut the tie between dividends and capital gains. Now we can look at corporate taxes, Cut all the subsidies and other loopholes for profitable industries, then lower the rate to 20%. Any thing else with taxes is a complete waste of time and resources.

[fourtruth]

01:06 PM on 09/02/2011

Republcans on the radio this morning saying just the opposite.

Republican­s removed "demand", being "a well paid labor force" from the equation with 'supply side trickle down' and now we expect something different than what we have? And much of the population still buys into this voodoo math?

Fanned

[wmnorton]

12:57 AM on 09/03/2011

The part of the population that relys on Fox News since that is all they ever hear so it is all they ever know. You wonder why people would defend Billionaires paying a lower tax rate than what they pay as average wage earners. You have to wonder what kind of devil worship is at work here.

[BDas]

08:15 AM on 09/03/2011

Look where we are, fellas! Typical US recession always lasted 13 months and ended in swift recovery with two notable exceptions: FDR and Obama. These are both instances of attempting to correct the downturn with profuse spending. Then take into consideration Japan situation in the 90ies and you might start seeing the picture.
You, believers in price-fixing, money-printing and deficit spending like to say that we just "didn't spend enough" both in the 30-ies and this time around. So what exactly is the recipe for converting government spending-fueled economy back into it's normal sustainable private sector-driven mode? WW3?

[wmnorton]

11:44 AM on 09/03/2011

GWB dug the biggest hole since 1932, don't expect to get out of it with half measures. The half measure that Obama instituted stopped the slide into oblivion (-2.7% GDP growth when Obama took over to +1.0% GDP growth rate now, 3/4 Million jobs lost Jan 2009 to zero jobs lost today and a net gain of 1 million jobs for his 3 years in office). I admit not impressive but what should you expect when you bring a knife to a gun fight. And the Senate Republicans have forced him to have one hand tied behind his back.
As far as FDR is concerned go read about the real history of the great deprssion instead of some wingnut rewite that ignores most of the facts, like the policies that Hoover implemented (the same as what the Republicans are currently proposing) made the Recession of 1929 into the Great Depression of 1932.

[fourtruth]

05:28 PM on 09/03/2011

Talk about missing the mark.

Sure FDR and Obama - right after two "Roaring ERAS" of tax cuts, deregulation and corporate government comingling and fraud.

It is simple - Cause and efffect - CAUSE AND EFFECT.

And history repeats - just like all those that went to prison from the "Roaring 20s" adminsitrations and corporations - THAT too will happen again (Richard Anerdson in The Corporation "my fellow plunderers...who will all be in prison one day").

You also miss one big huge republican platform from the 30ies and onward - that many captialists, industrialiists, and Republicans up to Goldwater knew - a well paid, healthy (dental and medical treatment was a "capiitalist" idea - WOW), and economically stable LABOR FORCE IS CAPITAL - and what the rich can just "ride" to greater riches upon - so what taxes are higher when you are rolling in it?

Goldwater is, I am sure, turning in his grave. Turning at todays "junkie" conservative party - yes, "addicts" of more, more, more - stealing from anyone and everyone to get another "fix" that is never enough - and as sure as it happens to every "junkie" the gutter is just around the corner.

Simple - Supply and Demand - Supply and DEMAND - cut off your own teeter totter with supply side and still waiting for that "trickle".

[pooka47401]

09:52 AM on 09/02/2011

Those 5% of businesses who are planning to hire are obviously retail stores gearing up for Christmas. These jobs will not last past January and most will be part time jobs with no benefits.

I predict that over Christmas there will be panic over the reduced buying by the American Consumer. Mean while there will be amazement over the increasing numbers of families using Food Pantries.

[AZreb]

09:36 AM on 09/02/2011

Since we hear that small businesses are the backbone of our economy, then it would seem that we are in really deep doo-doo if they are not hiring.

Many watch the stock exchange as a barometer of our economy - but how many of the large corporations and businesses on the exchange have outsourced their labor and built factories in other countries? Yes, they make money but at what cost to our own workers? And how many of us have large blocks of stock?

But not to worry - more free trade agreements are in the future - more SHAFTA - whoops, meant NAFTA.

[ColosslFup]

09:31 AM on 09/02/2011

Mr. President, don't bother wasting our time with your "jobs" speech, just use the airtime to resign in front of the joint session...at least make one part of your first and only term worth remembering in a positive light.

[NormalAmericanMan]

09:37 AM on 09/02/2011

And who will replace him? What great ideas are being proposed by either side? Cutting regulation? I tire of the lost cause of helping big business "create jobs" but giving tax breaks and loopholes... now they want less regulation... while never "creating jobs".

[pmoschetta]

10:54 AM on 09/02/2011

We could lower the tax rates to the wealthiest 2% and see how that pans out

(sarcasm)

[BandedHawk]

09:17 AM on 09/02/2011

Good to see that tax break for the wealthy really created some robust job growth. Nice one, Republicans.

[pmoschetta]

10:57 AM on 09/02/2011

Or the GOTP's campaign promises from last year's mid term elections have come to fruition........
like job creation

[fourtruth]

01:16 PM on 09/02/2011

They meant in China

[nothingchanges]

08:57 AM on 09/02/2011

Trickle down economics in action............................

Big Business, got the headlines, then the bailouts, small business got the shaft.

[blndgenie]

08:51 AM on 09/02/2011

ZERO jobs created this month. ZERO! Do you progs understand yet that capital is ON STRIKE in this country? Still demonizing small business owners by putting them in the same boat as the 'greedy uber wealthy'? Keep demanding more from us and pile on even more regulation and taxes, and get much more of the same.

[rjzii]

09:14 AM on 09/02/2011

Zero new net jobs not zero jobs across the board. Some companies are adding employees while others are still trimming the payroll. Likewise, if you read the report - http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm - part of the reason the number is a net gain of zero is because of the Verizon strike as striking workers do not count towards the employment numbers. Had the strike not occurred there actual number may have been close to 45,000 jobs added.

[ColosslFup]

09:37 AM on 09/02/2011

Nice try. The reason there is a net gain of zero is because business hates the current admin and nothing will get better until they and the Left are ghost story you tell around the campfire.

[AZreb]

09:40 AM on 09/02/2011

Another article on this page said that the June and July employment numbers have been revised downward - actually 57,000 more jobs lost. Will August numbers be revised downward, too? And then September's? If so, then those 45,000 jobs won't matter in the long run.

[pmoschetta]

10:56 AM on 09/02/2011

Jobs are a development of demand. If people are not buying, the demand becomes supply

Basic freaking economics
Maybe we shut cut more taxes to the corporations so they can invest more of the money in banks overseas?

[fourtruth]

01:18 PM on 09/02/2011

Keep speaking the simple truth - it will evntually break through the balony.