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Show Retailers Have Mixed Feelings influence byDeanAlsup Review Staff Writer sales for the quarter. Not destined to be a retailer s year, 1976 is proving to be just that. Its not a one retailer bad year, avowed, it's just not a real good year. The consensus of major retailers in Salt Lake is that sales will finish close to last year up or down only slightly. Many prominent store owners and managers, optimistic by nature, look for a substantial gain over 1975. The objective summation also leans cautiously toward a better year for sales barely. One reputed but anonymous merchant took a definite down view of the sales year. Inflation will play a major role, he said, and store prices are inflated about In order to five percent. show a real gain, he explained, a store will have to show profits over five percent from fourth quarter 1975. Most will not show that much profit. Christmas shopping has proven to be erratic, according to retailers. Most agree that winter goods, coats, hats, skis and related apparel, are not selling well. g items will Those soft-sellin- Auto sales are up sub- stantially though, the Utah Auto Dealers Association reported. But when new cars are selling, retail goods do not usually fare accordingly. At least thats the opinion of Eldred Bills, manager of the Auto Association. Bills reported a 22 percent increase in new car sales through October, and that increase, he said, will take dollars away from the retail shopper. Its only logical, Bills maintains, that consumers making new car payments will have less disposable income to spend on retail items. The ski industry will also detract from fourth quarter retail There are fewer profits. shopping the malls and their managers have found the effect notic-ablFrank Newman, ZCMI mall manager, said shops at the mall have missed the tourists but are doing well, hone the less. He points to a car count of 9,200 at the mall parking lot one day last week, saying he believes it will be the best sales week in the history of the new mall. For (See RETAILERS. Page 7b) much-talked-abo- ut out-of-state- rs e. 18-mon- th O Suit LtK George Garff, manager of ZCMI's main floor and Frank Newman, mall manager, believe 1976 retail sales will finish close to last year's up or down only slightly . Inflation continues to plague the industry, however, and an increase in new car sales signal decreased retail spending. Measuring Unemployment Jobless Rate Target for Redefinition by Mary McMillan Gaber Review Staff Writer The unemployment rate is probably the most carefully watched economic indicator in the country, but no one seems quite sure of what it actually measures. And, since it is being An unemployed person is one who is able to work, looking for a job and unsuccessful at finding a job, say Job Service ana- lysts. But behind that broad definition lurk a myriad of fringe areas and inequities. Among them is increasingly used as a the fact that even a person method for doling out bil- eamings$12 a week is counted lions of dollars of federal among the employed, even funds to cities and towns, its though he or she may e be looking for definition is becoming a tarwork. The gross rate makes no get of intense scrutiny. Statisticians, politicians, and distinction between .the economists alike are focusing primary worker (head of new attention on the rate. and other household) workers. It does not include Probably the major is the who it the have stopped people surrounding definition of the term looking for work because they are discouraged by sub-group- s, full-tim- con-trove- ry The unemployment rate is probably the most carefully watched economic indicator in the country , but no one seems quite sure of what it actually measures. economic or social conditions. And it doesn't include the so-call- ed underem- those whose skills or potentials are not being fully utilized. ployed, The unemployment rate was designed to measure resource utilization, not need, says Garth Mangum, director of University of Utah's Human Resources InIt measures only stitute. the number of people actively seeking work, who want to apply their services to society. to But, contrary Mangums assertion, during Congress last session, legislators used the unemploy- ment rate to need. measure e Under the Public Works Act, newly-effectiv- within months tens of billions of federal dollars are scheduled to be distributed among the countrys cities and towns, based on their unemployment rates. Possibly to stop the 95th Congress from abusing the rate, the last Congress has President-elec- t required Carter to appoint a committee to investigage the way the rate is compiled and used. Household Interviews The unemployment rate is currently established by compiling results of interviews with 47,000 households across the nation. Utah contributes 60 of those families. (See REDEFINITION. Page 8b) |