Downturn Deals: Price Cuts on Haircuts

Clothes go on sale, cars go on sale, even food goes on sale. But when was the last time your hairstylist offered you a discount?

Well, maybe now. As a way to serve their communities (and, of course, bring in business) salons around the country are offering recession specials. In Los Angeles, some are offering donation-only services, or complimentary bang trims for current customers. In New York, a few deals are specifically targeted at people who have lost their jobs. Here are a few high-end spots trimming prices:

Recession Briefing 4.15

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

Hoping to restore investor confidence, The Obama Administration is planning to release the results of the “stress tests” it has conducted on the 19 largest banks in the country. (New York Times)

Treasury Secretary Ben Bernanke said yesterday that he is seeing signs that the recession is easing up, asserting that it could be the “first step” toward recovery. (CNN/Money)

With less money to eat out and more frustration and anxiety to subdue, Americans are heading to the gym for more frequent workouts. (Bloomberg)…

If you come across a good article or blog post about the recession pass it on.

Screwed: 1,750 at Qantas

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.
Qantas, an Australian carrier, plans to cut 1,750 positions…Michelin North America is closing a BFGoodrich tire plant, affecting about 1,000 Alabama workers…Hallmark Cards Inc. will cut up to 750 jobs…Motorola laid off more than 600 employees at its Libertyville facility…MEMC Electronic Materials Inc. is cutting 200 positions in its Korean subsidiary, MEMC Korea Co…Linear Technology Corp. has fired 130 employees…

Lemonade Makers: Elizabeth McGowan, Career/Life Coach

Profiles of people who turn economic lemons into lemonade.

Elizabeth McGowan
New York, Upper West Side

Before recession: Corporate Technology Project Manager at Morgan Stanley

Now: Career/life coach at McGowan Coaching, where she helps others discover their passion and realize their potential through periods of transition in career and relationships.

When did you notice a shift in the economic climate?

In September 2007, layoff rumors were circulating. Around this time, I experienced a shift in my thinking about how fulfilled I was as a Project Manager. After attending a coaching class, I identified my talents through assessment, discovery, and review of my current path…

When I Had No Cash, I Bartered

For the past several years I’ve been an outsider, at least in the traditional job market. I traded my secure career in journalism (the idea of job security in journalism now seems quaint) for a less structured life on a tropical island. Though I continued to write freelance articles, made jewelry, and taught yoga, the uncertainty of collecting income from these sources inspired me to explore nontraditional forms of currency. When I still had a steady income, not to mention savings, I used cash for the basics – rent, food, and car repairs. While living in Puerto Rico, participating in an intentional community – a raw food retreat center that felt like a commune — I began engaging in barter…

Bank of America, 6:55 p.m.

These days, bankers may be wankers, but at least you know they’re not going home early…

Recession Briefing 4.14

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

Six months after taking a $10 billion bailout from the government, Goldman Sachs has posted a profit and is hoping to return the money — not least in order to escape heightened government scrutiny. (New York Times)

White House economic adviser Christina Romer expects that there will be more job losses in the coming months. Still, officials are detecting “small little signs that maybe some parts of the economy are stabilizing.” (Associated Press)

With the recession digging deep into Americans’ pockets, there is likely to be a large upswing in the number of first-time delinquent taxpayers. (Reuters)

Prices paid to U.S. producers fell unexpectedly in March after two months of gains, indicating the recession is keeping inflation under control. (Bloomberg)

If you come across a good article or blog post about the recession pass it on.

Screwed: Potential 300 in Detroit

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

Detroit mayor proposes 334 layoffs and 504 vacant job cuts under a new 2010 budget…Pilgrim’s Pride plans to close a chicken processing plant, affecting 280 Georgia workers…In another round of layoffs, The Virginia-Pilot plans to lay off 40 employees… Mid-sized law firm Brownstein Hyatt is laying of 37, 15 attorneys and 22 staff…

C.E.O.’s—They’re Just Like Us!

You may have a hard time sympathizing with top executives who are now out of work. But getting laid off is tough, no matter how much power and income your old job afforded you. A great little piece in yesterday’s New York Times focused on canned executives who are searching for new positions. Unlike most of us, they have big severance packages and their companies paid for a top-notch outplacement service that gives them free lunches and views of Boston as well as expert advice. But their experience offers a few lessons for everyone…

Recession Lexicon: Slayoff

A particularly cold-blooded method of laying off employees, such as breaking the news on a company blog, leaving a note in an employee’s chair, dispatching a mass email, or sending a certified letter to a worker’s home that says, “Do not come back to the office…”