Daily Reading: December 3, 2008

I'm sure this comes as no surprise: Private employers were cutting jobs in November. Reuters.

Although it is probably skewed a bit due to declining payrolls, productivity growth is better than expected in the 3rd Quarter. AP.

Mortgage applications rise significantly due to lower interest rates. Not a lot of surprise news today. CNBC.

The pros and cons of less expensive oil. Yes, there are cons to cheap oil. As a matter-of-fact, there are many more cons than pros in the long-term.