就業市場的狀況可能不久就會改善了。

　　經濟學家們預計，這種改善并不會體現在周五公布的7月份就業報告中。他們估計7月份的非農就業人數減少了275，000人，這個月的失業率升至9.7%.

　　即使7月份的就業數據出人意料，但它對就業統計數據的影響也不會很大。如果這個月的非農就業人數減少450，000人，將會令華爾街感到苦惱，也意味著美國總的就業人數減少了0.3%.而如果7月份的非農就業人數只減少150，000人，令市場感到欣慰，則意味著美國就業總人數下降0.1%.0.3%和0.1%的差距說明不了什么問題。

　　而從某些角度看，就業數據則有明顯改善。每周首次申請失業救濟人數的四周移動平均值目前已比6月底下降了10% .據High Frequency Economics的經濟學家謝弗德森（Ian Shepherdson）估計，這意味著每個月少失業約20萬人。

　　在此前一輪經濟擴張中，美國雇主實際上并沒有大量增雇人手，這意味著當本輪經濟衰退2007年12月開始時，非農就業人數可能已處于相對緊缺狀態。若果真如此，當經濟恢復增長時，雇主們可能需要迅速填補一些因恐慌性裁員而空出的崗位。

　　德意志銀行（Deutsche Bank）的經濟學家拉弗格納（Joseph LaVorgna）最近寫道，非農就業人數未來幾個月出人意料大幅增加的可能性提高了。

　　但就業狀況改善不應與就業市場恢復活力混為一談。大多數證據依然顯示，中、長期內就業市場仍將處于疲弱狀態。

　　如果此前兩輪經濟擴張中那種債務推動型經濟增長今后永遠無法完全再現，那么市場對就業者的需求量將會下降。加州大學伯克利分校的經濟學家德?。˙rad DeLong）說，就像以往兩輪經濟衰退那樣，雇主有可能利用經濟低迷之機用科技手段永久性取代工人的位置，或是將就業崗位遷至美國以外。

　　舊金山聯邦儲備銀行（Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco）的一項研究顯示，與以往的經濟衰退相比，本輪經濟衰退的失業者中，臨時性被裁者所占的比例下降了，這意味著與以往的經濟復蘇相比，本輪經濟復蘇中重返以往工作崗位的人可能也會減少。

　　股票市場將解決失業問題的希望寄托在美國聯邦儲備委員會（Fed）有可能將低利率水平保持更長一段時間上。美聯儲這種做法眼下可能會令投資者欣慰，但如果股市在資金推動下上漲至經濟基本面所無力支撐的高度，美聯儲的這種做法將為日后造成風險。

　　The job market might start producing better numbers soon.

　　Economists don't expect them to show up in the July employment report Friday. They estimate nonfarm payrolls shed 275，000 jobs and unemployment rose to 9.7%.

　　If the figures do surprise， it won't be in a statistically significant way. A payroll decline of 450，000， which would mortify Wall Street， would mean a 0.3% decline in total payrolls. A market-friendlier decline of 150，000， on the other hand， would represent a 0.1% decline. Percentagewise， the difference is a crapshoot.

　　At some point， jobs data should improve meaningfully. The four-week moving average of new jobless claims is down 10% from late June. That translates into about 200，000 fewer job cuts a month， estimates High Frequency Economics economist Ian Shepherdson.

　　Employers didn't exactly gorge on workers in the previous expansion， meaning payrolls may have been relatively lean when the downturn started in December 2007. If so， employers might need to quickly undo some panicky layoffs when growth returns.

　　‘The risk of a substantial upward surprise on payrolls over the next few months has risen，' Deutsche Bank economist Joseph LaVorgna wrote recently.

　　Still， improvement shouldn't be confused with vigor. Most evidence still suggests an anemic job market longer term.

　　If some portion of the debt-fueled growth of the past two expansions is gone forever， then there will be less demand for workers. As in the past couple of recessions， employers will likely use the downturn to permanently replace workers with technology or send jobs outside the U.S.， suggests economist Brad DeLong of the University of California， Berkeley.

　　The percentage of unemployed workers on temporary layoff is lower than in past recessions， according to a study by the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco， meaning fewer workers might get called back to work than in past recoveries.

　　The stock-market silver lining of stubborn unemployment is that the Fed is more likely to keep interest rates low for longer. That might make investors happy now， but it raises risks down the road if liquidity-pumped markets outpace fundamentals.