Although some of this pullback can be explained by the recent moderation in the growth of output, the magnitude of the slowdown has been somewhat greater than would be expected given the normal evolution of the business cycle.
If this were the case, while the world might be very old indeed (Genesis 1:2 may hint at this), we could not have had the survival of the fittest and the cycle of reproduction, mutation, and death required for macro-evolution.
Is this slowdown due to a systemic, permanent shift (like the evolution of digital music or the e-book) or is the industry simply mimicking the overall business cycle (after all, job growth is down in many sectors of the economy today)?