. >> reporter: baltimore based fire line corporation is one small business throwing and prospering in spite of the washington turmoil. they service and install every type of fire protection device and service you can imagine for commercial businesses, generating around $20 million a year in annual revenue and jobs for 160 workers. the plan began more than a decade ago is now paying off. four years ago at age 27, anna gavin took over a family business founded by her grandfather back in 1947. and yes, she's hiring. >> the hiring we're seeing, we're hiring designers, technicians and what happens eventually you end up having to hire administrative people to support those people and growth. >> reporter: there are loath of head winds in the overall jobs market. the labor force shrank again declining by 720,000 persons who simply stopped looking for work, bringing the participation late down to the lowest level in 35 years. for "nightly business report", i'm hampton pearson in washington. >>> stocks took off on the news. there was added good news as consumer spending rose and the market slug