shedding jobs

why do so many headlines, e.g., here, today use the wording that the u.s. economy shed 80,000 jobs? makes me think of what dogs and people do to unwanted hair and pounds, respectively, when the weather warms.

and isn't it just a weird way to describe this? doesn't it sound like sort of a good thing? oh, shedding -- we must have had too many.

interviewee: yes, i was employed there until the economy shed my job.

and why do they all use the same word? did they all just think of that at the same time? i'm just sayin'. without going into any intention, is this the effect of cutbacks and mergers in the free press, that they all use the same absurd phrase?