Oscar Gonzalez Quotations

Until businesses feel a real need for more hands-until productivity alone won't allow them to reach their earnings goals-they won't begin hiring.

We are possibly on the brink of war, so it would have been a great surprise if consumer confidence hadn't fallen.

We're finally getting consistently good news on the labor markets and even an occasional positive surprise like today's report.

Since the economy is softening, I expect inflationary pressures to subside. The door is still open for the Fed to continue easing rates, as necessary.

If, as expected, the October employment report shows a sharp rise in unemployment and a sharp decline in job growth, it could be a crushing blow to confidence. Having a job is probably the single biggest factor in consumers having confidence.

I don't think recent price data suggests that inflation is dead. The Fed has to worry about whether or not it is keeping inflation under control and it would probably like to err on the side of caution.

Given the tightness of supply and demand, it isn't taking much to push energy prices sharply higher.

There is evidence that the weakening dollar also is beginning to have a positive effect. This is a good sign both for the future of our exports and for our hope to narrow the trade gap.

I would think the probability of a move (on interest rates) would be somewhere around the 40 percent range.

Jobs are a lagging indicator, and other economic indicators suggest the economy is in fact on the mend. We still expect it will continue to improve through the rest of the year.

I think the Fed will act aggressively. The timing remains to be seen, but both Main Street and Wall Street are pleading for further rate cuts, so I think Greenspan will respond. The sooner and deeper a rate cut, the sooner consumer and business confidence should improve.

Rising benefit costs are cutting into already lean corporate profits. This may cause businesses to further delay additional hiring, which is critical to boosting the sluggish economy.

Record crude prices usually mean record trade gaps. Nobody sees relief on the energy front any time soon.

Today's figures simply reflect an economy still emerging from a recession; there's certainly nothing here to suggest inflation rising from the ashes. In terms of impact, it might as well be ancient history, especially now. The Federal Reserve is back to worrying about where inflation will be in six months, not where it was last month.

The overall trend is still pretty dismal in terms of imbalances between imports and exports.

We are looking at a growth rate somewhere in between 6.5 percent and 7 percent at this point. I think it's really going to be up there.

While improving consumer confidence probably suggests downside protection against a slump in spending, it does not suggest we will see spending take off. We still need a sustained improvement in the jobs market, including a significant decrease in unemployment with a solid increase in real wages.

The good news is that we're moving, albeit slowly, in the right direction and there are signs of further improvement on the horizon,

Even though the numbers are soothing, the Fed still is on high alert for a future flare-up in prices,

Continuation of a slowing trend is likely, and it could put the Fed in a pretty tight spot, because it could leave it wanting to possibly reverse its recent policies and start easing rates.

Consumers will continue to spend, and that will keep the economy chugging along for the next few months. But without some help, I worry that consumers could begin to falter later in the year. We need more business spending to fuel the economy's shift into a higher gear and sustain the recovery.

Consumers, who have kept the economy from drowning during this recession, continued to spend, albeit cautiously, in January and may be leading the way to recovery.

Energy prices stopped rising in July, and so did the PPI. So the worst may be over.

Energy prices stopped rising in July, and so did the PPI, ... So the worst may be over.

The trade gap is a canyon and I see no reasonable expectation of it narrowing anytime soon.

The trend is now clear. Inflationary pressures are building and prices are rising; only the pace remains at issue. September's figures may prove to be just a spike, but we can't dismiss the growing risks of a sudden acceleration in inflation.

Stopping at this point is off the table unless there is some unexpected piece of news like a sudden collapse in the housing market.

The report isn't so tame as to deter the Fed from bumping rates another notch, especially with Y2K fears dissipating and consumers showing no signs of fatigue. However, it should ease market fears that the Fed will need to tighten several more times.

Foreboding. That's the only word for today's report. We could be facing our worst case scenario: rising inflation in a slowing economy.

Strong but moderating retail sales and improving productivity suggest an economy that should continue to grow while avoiding overheating, ... The reports would seem to make it less likely that the Fed will need to move again this year.

The labor market remains the Achilles heel of a robust economic recovery. With the Fed talking about lowering interest rates to zero to get the economy growing strongly again, getting people back to work and increasing demand may be the Fed's primary worry.

The labor market remains the Achilles heel of a robust economic recovery, ... With the Fed talking about lowering interest rates to zero to get the economy growing strongly again, getting people back to work and increasing demand may be the Fed's primary worry.

Inflation is on the mat and not getting up soon. With the U.S. economy still in a recession and economies around the world weak, demand is slack and resulting in no inflationary pressures at all. Simply put, no one can raise prices.

Inflation hawks may be eating crow today. Despite their fears of tight labor markets and a strong economy, inflation is only creeping, not accelerating. I don't think that this report assures that the Fed tightening cycle is over, but I wouldn't be surprised to see rising market expectations of a rate cut. With most prices in check and energy prices easing, this report is about as good as it gets.

Inflation has picked up and there is some pricing power evident. Certainly by saying that, the Fed is telegraphing that they could easily increase rates by 50 basis points if they had to, even though at this point there doesn't seem to be a need for more than a quarter-point hike,

Higher oil prices and the stimulus coming from additional spending after Katrina both suggest that Fed would be on the side of raising rates.

Before the Fed went ahead and raised by a half-point, it would probably choose to eliminate the measured language.

I don't think there is really anything new in here. We probably know as much as we did as of the last statement in January.

The kids are in their classes. When you find some success at Leto, the students and the faculty get behind them.

All eyes will now shift to next week's employment report. The figures we've seen over the past few weeks suggest it will be quite weak. The report may be enough to push the Fed into giving the economy another shot in the arm at their next meeting.

The employment situation, which has the most direct impact on everyone's lives and outlook, is still precarious, and that's causing a lot of anxiety. They're worried about their jobs, but at the same time, I think they sense that this mild recession appears to be ending, and that will raise their hopes.

The inflation threat clearly seems to be fading as the economy cools, ... signal that the Fed may now shift its emphasis to growing the economy rather than fighting inflation. It allows them to start thinking about a rate cut sooner rather than later.

The latest economic releases are just another sign that the economy is quite sick. I am quite confident the Fed will react aggressively.

The longer we go along this path, the clearer it becomes that the Fed may have to jolt consumers and investors with a more aggressive policy,