Archive for February, 2009
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Stimulation for Everyone!
Late last night, the final draft of the $789 billion economic stimulus bill went up on the web for public review; it’s supposed to go to President Obama on Monday. The thing is more than 1,000 pages long, and it should be no surprise that’s there seems to be something in it for everyone. No matter whether you’re young, old, working, jobless, poor, comfortable, renting, buying, you’ll see some benefit too! Here are some of the highlights we’ve seen so far.
Love on the Cheap
For Valentine’s Day this year, Jason Rodriguez and his fiancée, Robin, are going to eat cake.
Rodriguez and his fiancée are like a lot of couples paring back this year. I polled some Facebook friends to find out what they were doing differently and discovered that a lot of people are staying close to home and finding unique ways to celebrate. Even the library is looking hot (my fiancé and I just got cards – hello free movies).
Screwed: 2,000 at Air France
A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.
Air France is cutting 2,000 jobs after major losses…Canadian aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney said it will lay off up to 1,000 workers…
Recession Briefing 2.13
What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
25 People to Blame for the Financial Crisis (Time)
Picks for the top 25 people to blame for the financial crisis includes everyone from former Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan and former President George W. Bush to the former CEO of Merrill Lynch and you–the American consumer.
No One Home: 1 in 9 Vacant (USA Today)
The surge in empty houses, condominiums and apartments is creating a wave of problems for communities desperate to shore up property values and tax revenues that pay for services.
Obama Wants to Pay Mortgages? (Reuters)
In a major break from existing aid programs, the plan under consideration would seek to help homeowners before they fall into arrears on their loans. Current programs only assist borrowers that are already delinquent.
Recession Lexicon: Outshipped
When your company lets you keep your job, but ships you to a developing country.
IBM has a new approach to laying off workers: Hang on to your job, but move to India. After pinkslipping thousands, Big Blue is telling American employees that they can have a job, but must export themselves to India, where they’ll receive…
January Shopping Surprise
If you’re like me, the holiday shopping season went a little like this: Get the gifts for family and friends, but instead of the usual “one for them two for me” approach (that’s a joke, Mom! Really, it’s a joke!) I had my eye on January for my personal shopping holiday.
For those who could afford it, the retail landscape portended a shopper’s dream. Today the numbers have come in — total retail sales rose 1 percent in January, the first increase in seven months.
Top Shrink Talks Recession
We were just listening to a great interview with psychologist Robert Leahy, PhD, on The Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC radio (the stream isn’t posted yet, we’ll add it when it is, definitely worth listening to). Dr. Leahy, who runs the Institute for Cognitive Therapy, said that a lot of people were going through a mental recession…
Love in the Time of Layoff: Take This Heart and Shove It
It’s been a month since my husband Marco’s ex-firm broke up with him. And, like a romantic breakup, it takes time to heal—for us both.
I was on the road to such healing, eating ice cream in the middle of the day, when the doorbell rang. I finished a work call and opened the door. It was…
Paid Testimony: Update
Yesterday, I estimated how much the eight bank C.E.O.s who testified in Congress were making for the day, using what I thought were the latest numbers. Turns out, I missed them being asked about their 2008 pay during the seven hours of questioning. (See video at The Business Insider.) So here’s an update.
Screwed: 10,000 at Pioneer
A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.
Japanese electronics company Pioneer Corp. will cut 10,000 jobs globally to cope with sinking sales of car audio equipment and flat-screen TVs…International Rectifier will eliminate 850 jobs…
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