Could a recession lie ahead? Watch the job market.

The US economy lost 4,000 jobs in August. Home builders, factories, and schools were hit hard.

By Mark Trumbull | Staff writer of The Christian Science Monitor

from the September 10, 2007 edition

The latest snapshot of American employment showed the first monthly decline in four years, but the worst part is this: The numbers suggest a steady weakening of the job market, not just an August dive.

Factories, home builders, and public schools all saw big employment losses in August, yielding a net loss of 4,000 jobs for the nation. But what's more troubling than the negative tally, economists say, is the breadth of deceleration.