Eric's posterous http://posterous.busboom.org Most recent posts at Eric's posterous posterous.com Wed, 01 Dec 2010 16:24:00 -0800 Economic Notes On Manufacturing http://posterous.busboom.org/economic-notes-on-manufacturing http://posterous.busboom.org/economic-notes-on-manufacturing

The US has been shedding manufacturing jobs since about 2000. ( Not 1970 as many people believe . ) 

Nonfarm_manufacturing

 

But, a capital spending report for the same period shows that capital spending has not dropped:

Screen_shot_2010-12-01_at_4

 

Furthermore, manufacturing revenue has been climbing over the period, but income after tax has stayed fairly flat. 

So, if the manufacturing companies are spending less on people, the same amount on machines but not getting more income, where is the additional expense? They could be spending more on raw materials, but the other possibility is that they are spending more on services, in the form of outsourced labor. For instance, instead of hiring janitors directly, they hire a janitorial services firm. In this case, the same number of people are being hired, but the job is shifted from "manufacturing" to "services." I'm not sure about the details of this effect, but it does mean that the decline in manufacturing jobs may not be as great as it appears. 

 

Update: here is some better data, that shows the capital expenses, labor expenses and revenues. 

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Sat, 13 Nov 2010 15:35:08 -0800 Positive commands http://posterous.busboom.org/positive-commands http://posterous.busboom.org/positive-commands Here's a good example of how to turn a negative into a positive. Much more poetic than " keep out".

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Fri, 08 Oct 2010 12:20:09 -0700 Happy feet http://posterous.busboom.org/happy-feet http://posterous.busboom.org/happy-feet Finally got my Sanuks.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Sun, 23 May 2010 18:00:00 -0700 Untitled http://posterous.busboom.org/19139372 http://posterous.busboom.org/19139372 Sure it is.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Sat, 03 Apr 2010 11:21:54 -0700 Another attempt at casting http://posterous.busboom.org/another-attempt-at-casting http://posterous.busboom.org/another-attempt-at-casting Getting the sand ready to cast an aluminum part for the kitchen.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:49:33 -0700 Guess which mask is my son's http://posterous.busboom.org/guess-which-mask-is-my-sons http://posterous.busboom.org/guess-which-mask-is-my-sons
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Fri, 25 Sep 2009 10:34:00 -0700 Kid Powered Teacup http://posterous.busboom.org/kid-powered-teacup http://posterous.busboom.org/kid-powered-teacup This teacup in the children's playground in Golden Gate Park accelerates when you sit in it.

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I'm not sure how it works, but I suspect it has a screw, a ratchet and a spring to lift it up, but it doesn't obviously screw downward under weight.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Tue, 08 Sep 2009 10:07:03 -0700 More Capitalism! http://posterous.busboom.org/more-capitalism http://posterous.busboom.org/more-capitalism
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Tue, 11 Aug 2009 18:43:25 -0700 I caught a naked boy http://posterous.busboom.org/i-caught-a-naked-boy http://posterous.busboom.org/i-caught-a-naked-boy
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:48:51 -0700 5:45. Even happier. http://posterous.busboom.org/545-even-happier http://posterous.busboom.org/545-even-happier
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Tue, 11 Aug 2009 17:27:26 -0700 Yea! 5:00! http://posterous.busboom.org/yea-500 http://posterous.busboom.org/yea-500
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:52:51 -0700 Child sacrifice is a privilege http://posterous.busboom.org/child-sacrifice-is-a-privilege http://posterous.busboom.org/child-sacrifice-is-a-privilege Don't forget, kids:

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Tue, 11 Aug 2009 12:46:44 -0700 Child sacrifice, for children. http://posterous.busboom.org/child-sacrifice-for-children http://posterous.busboom.org/child-sacrifice-for-children Mummification, human vivisection and in-vivo child internment in a format children can understand. Yes, really. I am both proud of librarians commitment to free expression and horrified by it.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:31:34 -0700 Yes, I do need 5 of these. http://posterous.busboom.org/yes-i-do-need-5-of-these http://posterous.busboom.org/yes-i-do-need-5-of-these Five angle grinders means I don't have to change the wheels during a large job. For most jobs, I only use the smaller four. I only paid $11 for one of them; It has been grinding gears like it's last day for 5 years.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Mon, 10 Aug 2009 14:59:00 -0700 Homemade hammer http://posterous.busboom.org/homemade-hammer http://posterous.busboom.org/homemade-hammer

Lately Max brings us sticks and says "make me a hammer." Of course we do. Notice that mortise and tenon joint. Mommy has a similar skill with sticks and flax leaves.

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:33:00 -0700 Name That Spider http://posterous.busboom.org/name-that-spider http://posterous.busboom.org/name-that-spider

Anyone know what kind of spider this is? ( Matthias Bluse tels me it is a Silver Argiope: http://www.sdnhm.org/fieldguide/inverts/argi-arg.html)

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Sun, 05 Jul 2009 11:44:59 -0700 A Post-4th Celebration of Capitalism http://posterous.busboom.org/a-post-4th-celebration-of-capitalism http://posterous.busboom.org/a-post-4th-celebration-of-capitalism
0705090808a

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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom Sat, 04 Jul 2009 14:47:30 -0700 Untitled http://posterous.busboom.org/1078857 http://posterous.busboom.org/1078857
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]]> http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/76235/Eric_Brown_Torso.jpeg http://posterous.com/users/KEUsqwFQpX Eric Busboom Eric Eric Busboom