That makes retail sales, home sales, auto sales, consumer sentiment, factory orders and the like much more indicative of the economic recovery than the employment reports.

FORBES: Jobs Report Be Damned, Economy Chugs Higher

German industrial production and manufacturing orders fell by much more than expected in July.

ECONOMIST: World economy

In speaking to a senior executive in sales, not long ago, he said, if my sales people could visually see their pipeline, commitments, confirmed orders, and cancellations, they could be so much more productive.

FORBES: Big Data: A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

These help firms keep much closer track of orders, inventories and the like, and so help them to determine faster and more accurately when extra staff are needed.

ECONOMIST: The outlook for jobs in America

And they can avoid holding inventory and warehouses, thanks to more efficient shipping routes from Asia and the ability to manage orders through a website instead of guessing how much product to give a traditional retailer ahead of time, said Liam Casey, chief executive of PCH International, which handles manufacturing and fulfillment for large and small tech companies.

WSJ: Forget the Web, Valley Start-Ups Get Real