Podcast Center
Video Center
Webcasts
Resource Center
Events
January 01, 2009 at 02:00 AM
Overall Job Market
The month of December was, of course, anything but jolly for another 524,000 workers, who lost their job – capping a year that saw nearly 2.6 million workers displaced. Notably, three-quarters of these job losses occurred in just the last four months of 2008 – September through December. The employment market in 2008 was the worst since just after World War II with the transition from the wartime economy. Unemployment rose to 7.2 percent; after beginning the year at 4.9 percent.
This report was worse than the consensus of economists whose expectation was in the 500,000 range, and the burning question that remains is: Where is the bottom?
Securities Industry
Once again, we continue to be amazed at the relative strength in this sector. December’s job loss was “only” 1,700 jobs bringing total employment to 842,600 workers. While 2008 saw a contraction of 12,700 jobs or about 1.5 percent; we can’t help but believe that it could have been much worse. Job loss during this pull back is, so far, less steep and less severe than the post-9/11 decline, which ultimately saw nearly 90,000 securities industry people out of work.
Banking Industry
