News

Recession Briefing 3.27

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.

Federal Reserve officials yesterday hinted that they believe the recession is in its final stages –but warned that the beginning of the recovery will be no picnic. (Reuters)

Kurt Anderson looks at whether the recession could actually be good for America. “We surely will have to adjust the ways we think of ourselves. Still an exceptional country, absolutely, but not a magical one exempt from the laws of economic and geopolitical gravity.” (Time)

“Retrenchment is begetting retrenchment. Falling home prices, weak consumer spending, diminishing investment and a fresh reappraisal of risk are combining to bring more of each.” (New York Times)

Job losses are continuing to mount across the country. “The outlook for American workers is likely to remain bad for many months to come, and the recession is likely to be recorded as one of the most severe since the 1930s.” (Washington Post)

If you have an iPhone and you’re unemployed, here are a few useful applications you can download to help track job listings and networking opportunities. (Mashable)

If you’ve still got a job and are looking to keep it, John Crudele suggests a few easy steps for impressing your boss and making sure he thinks you’re vital to the company. (New York Post)

Some consumers are beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel: for the past two weeks, the percentage of those telling Gallup that things are getting better has increased. (USA Today)

George Soros, who has actually made a significant amount of money through the recession, predicts that home values will drop another 30% as the recession grinds on. (Bloomberg)

At least something’s getting cheaper for consumers: Food costs have finally started to drop after a nearly two-year surge. (Chicago Tribune)

The Federal Reserve has bought up a bunch of movie theater ads to warn homeowners about foreclosure scams. The ads will run in 14 cities with high-foreclosure housing markets. (Wall Street Journal)

Seen a good article or blog post about the recession? Pass it on.

Tags: bailout, eating, gadgets, real estate, spending, The Unemployed Life