News

Recession Briefing 5.5

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

Traffic congestion is down in the U.S., reportedly as much as 70 percent in some areas, as a result of rising unemployment. (NPR/Marketplace)

An artist in Glasgow, Scotland, has rigged a vending machine to distribute a free bag of potato chips every time news about the recession is broadcast on the BBC’s RSS feed. (Ellie Harrison)

Freelance is the new full-time: Freelancers now make up 26% of the U.S. working population, up from 19% in 2006. (CNN/Money)

If Sacramento is any indication, we may have passed the bottom of the housing market. The city seems to be in the earliest stages of a recovery. (New York Times)

… but not so fast: columnist John F. Wasik writes that “We might be looking at a lost generation for U.S. home values.” (Bloomberg)

Could the economic downturn be in some way responsible for a recent spike in DVD rentals? (USA Today)

Nouriel Roubini says the results of the government’s “stress tests” on banks have been positive overall, but warns that we can’t subsidize banks forever. (Wall Street Journal)

“With the financial crisis disrupting virtually all corners of the economy, academic innovation too is threatened,” writes Robert Geiger. (Inside Higher Ed)

Recent anecdotal evidence suggests that people aren’t dating less because of the recession. In fact, people feel a heightened desire to connect. (New York Times/City Room)

Is the recession stifling innovation? Tight credit and business cutbacks have slowed the pace of getting the latest U.S. innovations to market. (Associated Press)

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

Tags: banks, Dr. Doom, economy, job-hunting, real estate