Striking Machinists Bench 44,000 Jobs, Perfect Timing for the Halloween Job Scare

Striking workers have decided that the best way to leave a mark on the October jobs report is with an impressive 44,000-job disappearing act. Talk about making a bold statement!

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the biggest “no-show” performance since last year—consider it the annual “let’s see how low we can go” talent show.

A giant slice of that pie comes from the 33,000 striking machinists at Boeing, who’ve seemingly taken their talents to the couch instead of the assembly line. And just when we thought hurricanes were the natural disaster of choice to throw a wrench in the job market’s gears, these workers show us that the real storm is in striking!

“We’re feeling optimistic,” said Joe Brusuelas, chief economist and eternal optimist, as he gazes into his crystal ball and foresees not-as-dismal job numbers for October. Clearly, he believes the glass isn’t just half full—it’s overflowing with potential job gains.

Brusuelas even tacked on an extra 120,000 “invisible” jobs to the Total employment count—because why stop at just the ones that are actually filled? It’s like adding imaginary friends to a party; technically, they’re there—just not in the way we can see.

Oh, and don’t forget about the additional 5,000 to 7,000 jobs Boeing is planning to trim from its workforce like a gardener in a hedge maze. They’ve decided that trimming the fat is the new weight-loss plan—who knew HR could be so ruthless?

Just a couple of weeks ago, while the Southeast was pulling out its rain boots from the Hurricane Helene flood festivities, Florida braced for a round two with Hurricane Milton. Thankfully, Milton turned out to be more of a mild summer shower than the apocalypse; it seems nature’s sense of timing is just as bad as our tendency to procrastinate by binge-watching reality TV.

Economists are optimistic that this temporary job loss sitcom will wrap up soon, and like a twist of fate, the economy will rebound stronger than ever—because who doesn’t love a good comeback story? Highlighting all of life’s unexpected curveballs before a big election, truly a recipe for suspense!

But on the bright side, the tenacity showcased after Helene’s landing means businesses and folks are bouncing back faster than a rubber bouncy ball on caffeine. With a pay period including the 12th of this month, it seems like everyone is ready to turn their frowns upside down. After all, in the world of employment, unpredictable chaos is just part of the job—sort of like trying to win a game of Monopoly without flipping the board in frustration.