Food Reclassify 2004

Economists Express Sharp Reactions to Reclassification of Manufacturing Jobs. Publication: Newsday (Melville, New York) (via Knight-Ridder/Tribune Business News) Publication Date: 02/21/2004 Byline: James Toedtman Feb. 21--WASHINGTON -- White House economists wonder whether hamburger flippers at fast -food restaurants should be considered manufacturers. Not a chance, said Eds on P a rdo, ma na ge r of the McDona ld's a round the corne r from the White Hous e . "We don't flip ha mburge rs ," he s a id. "We jus t he a t the m up." P re s ide nt Ge orge W. Bus h ra is e d the is s ue in his a nnua l e conomic re port. In the re port la s t we e k, Bus h's chie f e conomic a dvis e r N. Gre gory Ma nkiw ca lle d the de finition "s ome wha t blurry" a nd a s ke d whe the r it s hould be cha nge d. "Whe n a fa s tfood re s ta ura nt s e lls a ha mburge r, for e xa mple , is it providing a 's e rvice ' or is it combining inputs to 'ma nufa cture ' a product? " For a n a dminis tra tion tha t ha s s e e n 2.6 million ma nufa cturing jobs va nis h s ince J a nua ry 2001, ra is ing the pos s ibility of cha nging how ma nufa cturing jobs a re cla s s ifie d ha s provoke d a s ha rp re s pons e , e s pe cia lly in a n e le ction ye a r. Whe n Ma nkiw's re ma rks ca me out this we e k, De mocra ts ha d a fie ld da y. "If fa s t food is cla s s ifie d a s ma nufa cturing, pe rha ps the ne ighborhood le mona de s ta nd s hould be cons ide re d pa rt of the milita ry-indus tria l comple x," s a id S e n. Cha rle s S chume r (D-N.Y.). In Ohio, pre s ide ntia l hope ful S e n. J ohn Ke rry (D-Ma s s .) s a id: "If this pre s ide nt is going to te ll middle -cla s s fa ctory worke rs tha t e ve n though the ir job ha s dis a ppe a re d, the y ca n s till ha ve a good ma nufa cturing job a t $5.15 a n hour a t McDona ld's , le t him come to Ohio." The White Hous e McDona ld's , whos e cus tome rs include ma ny White Hous e s ta ffe rs , though no pre s ide nt s ince Bill Clinton, is a n e conomic indica tor of its own. Bus ine s s ha s be e n s low a nd P a rdo doe s n't a nticipa te ne w jobs a ny time s oon. "Ma ybe this s umme r," he s a id.

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