--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A while ago I did a story comparing the…" description: "\"A while ago I did a story comparing the change in employment rates in recessions in the U.S. and in Europe, and what I found was that America fired a l..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/amity-shlaes-9137_america_a-while-ago-i-did-a-story-comparing-the_896059.jpg" --- # A while ago I did a story comparing the change in… ![“A while ago I did a story comparing the change in employment rates in recessions in the U.S. and in Europe, and what I found was that America fired a lot of people and rehired a lot of people faster than Europe. That difference is disappearing, and that is a problem.” quote by Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/amity-shlaes-9137_america_a-while-ago-i-did-a-story-comparing-the_896059.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/amity-shlaes-9137_america_a-while-ago-i-did-a-story-comparing-the_896059.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/5cd/amity-shlaes-9137_america_a-while-ago-i-did-a-story-comparing-the_896059.jpg) > “A while ago I did a story comparing the change in employment rates in recessions in the U.S. and in Europe, and what I found was that America fired a lot of people and rehired a lot of people faster than Europe. That difference is disappearing, and that is a problem.” [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. U.S. labor market historically adjusts faster than Europe, but that speed is waning, posing a risk to economic resilience. **In simple terms:** America used to rehire quickly; now it’s slowing. Key Takeaway Watch for slowing hiring cycles. Themes economics labor markets global comparison Mood concerned analytical Type observational warning When to use this quote - business strategy - policy planning - career counseling Key Concepts market flexibility structural change policy impact Questions to Reflect On - How will slower rehiring affect future recessions? - What policies can restore flexibility? A Different Perspective If hiring slows, growth may stall. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/america/) [Change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/change/) [Difference](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/difference/) [Employment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/employment/) [Europe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/europe/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Problem](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/problem/) [Recessions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/recessions/) [Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/story/) ## Related quotes > [Jobs can change a lot without there being huge changes in employment rates.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-autor/jobs-can-change-a-lot-without-there-being-huge-changes-in-employment/) [David Autor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-autor/) > [The employment rates are in very bad shape. We vastly underestimate the unemployment](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/immanuel-wallerstein/the-employment-rates-are-in-very-bad-shape-we-vastly-underestimate/) [Immanuel Wallerstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/immanuel-wallerstein/) > [“To Europe she was America. To America she was the gateway to the earth. But to tell the story of New York would be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells-2/to-europe-she-was-america-to-america-she-was-the-gateway-to-the-earth/) [H.G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells-2/) > [We had been affected by the fact that the film world was a man's world in Europe as much as here, in America actually.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/babette-mangolte/we-had-been-affected-by-the-fact-that-the-film-world-was-a-man-s/) [Babette Mangolte](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/babette-mangolte/) > [Talking about a materialistic thing, I get about 13 times more royalties from Europe than I do from America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elliott-carter/talking-about-a-materialistic-thing-i-get-about-13-times-more/) [Elliott Carter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elliott-carter/) > [I hope that I will be able to work all of my life - even when I am older. It's easier to do that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/penelope-cruz/i-hope-that-i-will-be-able-to-work-all-of-my-life-even-when-i-am/) [Penelope Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/penelope-cruz/) > [I enjoy seeing other Indian musicians - old and young - coming to Europe and America and having some success. I'm happy to have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-shankar/i-enjoy-seeing-other-indian-musicians-old-and-young-coming-to-europe/) [Ravi Shankar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-shankar/) > [Iran is a major threat to the well-being of Europe and America just as much as it is for the state of Israel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ehud-olmert/iran-is-a-major-threat-to-the-well-being-of-europe-and-america-just/) [Ehud Olmert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ehud-olmert/) > [I think religious movies are more of a subset of the broader historical trend, and also the fact that there is more history in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dolph-lundgren/i-think-religious-movies-are-more-of-a-subset-of-the-broader/) [Dolph Lundgren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dolph-lundgren/) > [Limbo has been one of the greatest hits of my career. 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America is based on mythology - the free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/a-b-yehoshua/israel-is-too-attached-to-america-too-influenced-by-america-it-should/) [A. B. Yehoshua](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/a-b-yehoshua/) > [I live between Europe, America and Asia.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicola-formichetti/i-live-between-europe-america-and-asia/) [Nicola Formichetti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicola-formichetti/) > [Seve Ballesteros was a million percent the best Ryder Cupper on either side of Europe and America.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-torrance/seve-ballesteros-was-a-million-percent-the-best-ryder-cupper-on/) Sam Torrance ## More by Amity Shlaes > [Right now we're concerned about budget. Right now we're concerned about the prospect of interest rate rise. We're concerned about government corruption, government handing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/right-now-we-re-concerned-about-budget-right-now-we-re-concerned/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [The donning of the ear buds marks the beginning of teen life, when children set off on their own for the passage through adolescence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/the-donning-of-the-ear-buds-marks-the-beginning-of-teen-life-when/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [Seems like Americans just want it to be Halloween all year. The holiday just keeps getting more popular.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/seems-like-americans-just-want-it-to-be-halloween-all-year-the/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [Europe unified its monetary policy through the euro before it unified politically, therefore sustaining member countries' abilities to pursue the kind of independent fiscal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/europe-unified-its-monetary-policy-through-the-euro-before-it-unified/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [Democrats who see virtue in the estate tax are doing the equivalent of aborting future enterprises. They deprive businesses of oxygen with their support…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/democrats-who-see-virtue-in-the-estate-tax-are-doing-the-equivalent/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [Policy people suffer their own kind of agony, and no wonder. After all, what is the average life of the policy person? You go…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/policy-people-suffer-their-own-kind-of-agony-and-no-wonder-after-all/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [With demands for special education or standardized test prep being shouted in their ears, public schools can't always hear a parent when he says:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/with-demands-for-special-education-or-standardized-test-prep-being/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [“Isn’t it a strange thing,” he asked Barton, “that in every period of social unrest men have the notion that they can pass a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/isn-t-it-a-strange-thing-he-asked-barton-that-in-every-period-of/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [Anti-parent music seems to be all the pop-rock market wants.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/anti-parent-music-seems-to-be-all-the-pop-rock-market-wants/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [To investors, job creation is a second-order effect. Market participants care first about interest rates, exchange rates, bond prices and the one great factor…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/to-investors-job-creation-is-a-second-order-effect-market/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [In my view, if you have one in 10 unemployed - something is wrong with the economy whether you call it recession or not.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/in-my-view-if-you-have-one-in-10-unemployed-something-is-wrong-with/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [The difference between recession and depression is simple. Recession, goes the saying, is when you lose your job; depression is when I lose mine.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/the-difference-between-recession-and-depression-is-simple-recession/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [When you see government leaders really bullying business, you know that government's economic policy is failing. They get angry and they get desperate.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/when-you-see-government-leaders-really-bullying-business-you-know/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [Today many politicians suggest that where the federal government does not act, there must be anarchy. That view is odd, blinkering out the work…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/today-many-politicians-suggest-that-where-the-federal-government-does/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) > [If expectations of lifetime earnings drop, then so will spending.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amity-shlaes/if-expectations-of-lifetime-earnings-drop-then-so-will-spending/) [Amity Shlaes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) [Explore all 75 Amity Shlaes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amity-shlaes/) ## More America quotes > [The costs of the Bush-Obama wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are now estimated to run as high as $4.4 trillion - a major victory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/the-costs-of-the-bush-obama-wars-in-iraq-and-afghanistan-are-now/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [Young men, especially in America, write to me and ask me to recommend “a course of reading.” Distrust a course of reading! 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And America looks to its Corps of Marines.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ronald-reagan/today-the-world-looks-to-america-for-leadership-and-america-looks-to/) [Ronald Reagan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ronald-reagan/) > [The image of blacks usually is one of people who are suffering from hunger, unemployment, and poverty. The idea of them as agents and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/grace-lee-boggs/the-image-of-blacks-usually-is-one-of-people-who-are-suffering-from/) [Grace Lee Boggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/grace-lee-boggs/) > [ I'll smoke, I'll cough, I'll get the tumors, I'll die, deal? Thank you America. \[salutes\] ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bill-hicks/i-ll-smoke-i-ll-cough-i-ll-get-the-tumors-i-ll-die-deal-thank-you/) [Bill Hicks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bill-hicks/) > [America is a democracy and has no Hitler, but I am afraid for her future; there are hard times ahead for the American people,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/america-is-a-democracy-and-has-no-hitler-but-i-am-afraid-for-her/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [I'm gonna bring America together.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/donald-trump/i-m-gonna-bring-america-together/) [Donald Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/donald-trump/) > [In the nineteenth century some parts of the world were unexplored, but there was almost no restriction on travel.:; Up to 1914 you did…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/in-the-nineteenth-century-some-parts-of-the-world-were-unexplored-but/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [We need a system that serves our needs, not the needs of others. 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