Screwed: 1,600 at McClatchy

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Newspaper company McClatchy Co. will trim 1,600 jobs as part of a $210 million cost-cutting plan. … Stanford Financial Group, home of alleged financial fraudster R. Allen Stanford, dismissed 1,000 employees on Friday. … In Cleveland, 750 workers were put on temporary leave while steel maker ArcelorMittal suspends operations for the foreseeable future. … At Borders Books, 742 employees were laid off. … ADT Security Services cut 500 jobs last month. … Embattled newspaper San Francisco Chronicle cut 150 workers. … About 50 employees were let go at the U.S. Olympic Committee, which has its main office in Denver. … Bank of America has withdrawn job offers to about 50 MBA students.

Iditarod Economics: Don’t Cut Your Prices

It turns out, the business of running dogs competitively through hundreds of miles of snow and ice is no different from any other business these days: It faces the pressures of rising costs and global market forces. And it must resolve the same dilemma of whether to cut or raise prices in response.

The recession has come to the Iditarod.

The Recession Road Trip

You get laid off from your job. You file for unemployment for the first time. You’re wondering what comes next.

It’s a situation millions of Americans are experiencing right now. But as far as we know, only one of them packed up the peanut butter and jelly and embarked on a three-month road trip around the United States, with the goal of documenting how the recession is affecting people. Make that two people—since 26-year-old Austin Chu is doing it with his brother, Brian.

So far Austin and Brian have traveled through New Mexico, Texas, Nebraska, and Alabama, to name just a few, interviewing people they meet along the way. Today, they’re in Washington, D.C.—outside the White House, they accidentally met my brother.

We love their tips for taking a 21st century road trip on the cheap. But we’re even more into their videos, like their version of Fifty People, One Question, shot in Austin, Texas.

The Bull and Bear TiniMeter

Current price of one martini at the Waldorf Astoria’s Bull and Bear Bar: $18.50. That same amount will buy you these items, with change to spare:

1. 18 slices of pizza at 99cent Fresh Slice
2. 10 shares Ford Motor Company Stock
3. Round-trip ticket, NY-Boston on BoltBus
4. 3 pitchers of beer at Rudy’s Bar & Grill, + free hot dogs (before 5pm)

At the End of Your Robe: Pegging Your Personal Style

Stylist Julie Greene offers expert advice on looking fierce in a financial crisis.

For the last three weeks, I’ve been encouraging you to let go of your closet clutter, get more mileage out of the clothes you own, and make a little cash from your cast-offs. Now it’s time to work on developing your overall sense of style.

What Wedding?

Last spring, quite a few people—from Kiplinger to the National Association of Catering Executives—were suggesting that weddings might be recession-proof. As with so many ideas in the early stages of the downturn, that proved to be wrong. Everyone is getting pummeled now, including couples, vendors and honeymoon locations.

What’s an engaged pair to do? DIY Bride offers some practical advice on how to recession-proof the big day.

And The Royal Plantation Collection and ABCNews.com are hosting an online contest for a free honeymoon. Send a video (by March 9) explaining how the economy has affected your plans, and you could receive a five-day, four-night trip.

Recession Briefing: 3.6

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

The jobless rate jumped to 8.1%, with 651,000 workers slashed by companies in February. Revisions to past months’ numbers show that December recorded the single largest month of job reductions since October 1949. (Bloomberg)

A new bill would let the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation temporarily borrow as much as $500 billion from the Treasury. Such a “mechanism would allow the FDIC to respond expeditiously to emergency situations,” said Fed Chair Ben Bernanke. (Wall Street Journal)

A new report finds that retail sales aren’t as bad as many had feared, but some experts warn that the sector could be hit harder as the year progresses. (New York Post)

Screwed: 1,200 at General Dynamics

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

General Dynamics is eliminating 1,200 jobs…ADT Security Service has cut 500 positions…Maryland-based network company Ciena Corp. fired 200 workers…truckmaker Heil is laying off 180…Holcim cement plant in Mason City, Iowa, will shut, leaving 165 jobless…law firm Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman is axing 155…the Houston Chronicle is letting go 10 percent of its work force…

Traveling Tight: Cruising the Recession

Think you can’t afford a cruise? Think again. The Recession is bringing on a boatlaod of cruise bargains. We’re talking $50 per day for a four-day trip from Miami to the Bahamas on Norwegian Cruise Lines. A seven-day Alaska cruise, usually more than $2,000 per person, for $499. Cruise bargains are so plentiful that Ken Heit of World Wide Cruises in Ft. Lauderdale recently suggested that “if you live in an expensive city like San Francisco, Chicago or New York, it might be cheaper right now to spend a week on a cruise ship than to stay at home.” Right. That’s as good excuse as any to check out of bone-chilling NYC.

Recession Lexicon: Homeworking

This term is so obvious, we’re amazed more people aren’t using it. It’s a little less of a mouthful than “working from home,” which is great for all of us who are now setting up shop in kitchens, spare bedrooms, and alcoves.