It's also a permanent shift in the way music, games and films are purchased, and the way we shop.
But it would be a serious blow to our international economic hopes if this turns out to be a permanent shift.
It would also impose a probably unrepealable increase in marginal tax rates, and a permanent shift upward in the federal tax share of GDP.
Because these types of job cut are based on productivity boosting initiatives companies have taken, they likely reflect a permanent shift upwards in operational efficiency.
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So a permanent shift toward smaller cars would devastate industry profits.
Some people think that renting will enjoy a renaissance as a result of the crisis ( see article), but few expect a wholesale, permanent shift in attitudes.
Ford has said it must restructure its business to account for a permanent shift in consumer demand toward cars and crossovers, and away from the large trucks and sport-utility vehicles that had been a staple of profits in past years.
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)?
"There's been a rush to small cars, but that doesn't necessarily mean the shift is permanent, " said Jeremy Anwyl, chief executive of Edmunds.com, which tracks consumer interest by measuring its Web site traffic to each vehicle segment.
There may be a shift occurring in our economy, and whether permanent or temporary new norms will have to be considered.
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Apple had been accused by the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, which has been examining "methods employed by multinational corporations to shift profits offshore", of being "among America's largest tax avoiders".
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