As we begin the second half of this year,we get a look at the all important Jobs report. Looking back at initial job claims of the past several weeks, it seems likely that it won’t look so sweet.

As we close the first half of the year…QE2 is over, employment still anemic, and Jim Carell has left The Office.

Recently I watched an episode of The Office. I haven’t been a serial viewer, but so many people have been talking about it that I decided it was time to check out all the buzz.

I tuned in smack in the middle of what seemed to be an older episode. In this episode, Carell was giving a presentation on capitalism to classroom of sales folks, with candy bars as his prop.

He tells the class the most important thing for sales is “you gotta have a building.” (Most would disagree and say you need a product/service/idea first).

Anyway…

According to Carell, once you have the building you need to sell something. He suggests you sell Whatchamacallits. It’s important to sell them in order to have a Payday. If you sell enough, you will make 100 Grand. If you are satisfied, you will Snickers. The more you sell (as you Snickers), the more profit you will have to buy….beanie babies.

What he forgot mention is the more beanie babies (and other stuff) are purchased, the more fuel to the economy.

So goes free-market capitalism and innovation, so goes Jobs. Business certainty sprinkled with consumer confidence will, over time, result in an improved economy and an uptick for employment.

Capitalism – An economic and political system characterized by a free market for goods and services and private control of production and consumption.

Free market – an economic system in which prices and wages are determined by unrestricted competition between businesses, without government regulation or fear of monopolies.