you may also want to research how stock price typically reflects valuation of a company based on expected growth from current level. many regular joe blow citizens have retirement accounts pegged to indexes. As those indexes go up, their 401k's and IRA's increase in value. Additionally, it speaks to a general economic climate that will spur hiring as companies grow and expand.

We can argue that not enough of a company's profitability makes it to labor, but it is hard to argue broad increase in company valuations by the market is not tied to the larger economic health in our country.