Robert Reich   Recent Articles  Underlying Strengths  Broadcast
October 19, 2001  The American economy is almost certainly in
recession right now, and a lot of people are scared not only
about terrorism, but also about their economic futures. The good
news is that the economic fundamentals--that is, the underlying
structures of the American economy--are very strong.  Consider
employment. Well, undoubtedly, a lot of people are losing jobs,
and it's likely that October's unemployment rate will move up a
notch from the 4.9 percent it registered in September to about 5
1/2 percent, or possibly even 6 percent. That sounds bad, and it
is bad news for the people who can't find a job.  Take a Guess:
The Los Angeles Times  Not since World War II have Americans
felt so unified. We're fighting a war against terrorism and
we're fighting to get the economy moving again. And we're all in
this together. Except when it comes to paying the bill.  The
cost of the war on terrorism since Sept. 11 is estimated to be
$40 billion,