Stock Market is Up, so is Depression

The stock market has been going up the past few weeks, despite some downright depressive news. Today, Toyota shares were up because sales were down just 39%, less than the estimated 41%. India's exports are down, China's manufacturing is contracting.
An interesting twist comes from South Korea. NYT reports - Around the world, global industrial giants like Sony and General Motors are shedding workers as the worldwide recession depresses demand for goods. But the biggest conglomerates in South Korea are trying something different: hiring new workers by the thousands. South Korea is not the only country trying to prevent major job losses by asking workers to reduce hours or take pay cuts, but it has turned job preservation into something of a national drive, with the government appealing to both unionized workers and management to set aside differences for the economy’s sake. Saving jobs, President Lee Myung-bak has said, is “our No. 1 goal.”