US Layoffs

I found an article from CNNMoney.com that stated that we have had the largest amount of layoffs since 9/11.

I am going to use this as an example of the problems that come with word choice and mass panic. Looking at that makes you think that our economy is doing extremely terribly and that people are desperate and out of money more so than ever before. That's generally the idea of the United States economy today, which is an extreme over-exaggeration.

The reason this is a problem is because when people think the economy is doing bad, they act like it is, whether or not it really is. People start buying less, and instead of putting the money they save into banks, they lock it away somewhere else because they're worried that they might not get it back should they use a savings account and actually begin taking their money out of the bank (one of the many problems during the great depression). This decreases sales and the amount of money that banks have to loan, making providing loans difficult. Thus, an economic problem is caused not by the problem itself, but by the fear of that very same problem because the media blows up any issue it gets its hands on. Hence.... MORE ISSUES.

Now, back to that statement...
Mass layoffs highest since 9/11

Let's elaborate.
A mass layoff, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is when 50 people file for any sort of layoff insurance within one company within a period of 5 weeks. When that happens, it is characterized as a mass layoff event. For the past decade or two, we have had at least 1,000 of these per month.

This past September, we had 2,269. I know it sounds like a lot. And yes, maybe we haven't had that many since 9/11/2001. However, it only beats September of 2005 by 20.... Yes. In September 2005 there were 2,248 mass layoff events. I'm sorry... I guest 2008 beats that by 21

I'm not saying that's not an issue. It is definitely a problem. Any layoff is a problem, mass or not. As you can see, they add up quick. However... this is not something to panic about. Notice how the layoffs didn't hit until 6 months after the media went crazy with "recession-fever"?

I'll post a link for you to see the file that I am looking at. Since 2006, the numbers had been gradually increasing. But you also have to add population and employment increases. I doubt population had too much to do with it. But isn't there a chance that corporations may have hired a couple hundred new employees from 2006-2008?

Problems and crises are two very different things. Problems that are claimed to be crises become actual crises very quickly thanks to panic and mob mentality. Don't let the media drive you. Look at the facts for yourself. Everyone seems to know that the media over-dramatizes facts and actualities, yet those same people take the media so literally. How is that helpful?

http://money.cnn.com/2008/10/22/news/economy/mass_layoffs/index.htm?cnn=yes
http://www.bls.gov/news.release/pdf/mmls.pdf