Win $1,000 for bills, $2,000 of Gear, or a Book (Yes, Last One’s From Us)

We wouldn’t advise counting on contests for income, but the way things are still going in the employment market, you might be more likely to benefit from a sweepstakes than a jobs site.

Has the downturn has turned you into a “Digital Nomad”? Nomadesk is giving away $2,000 worth of gear, including a Dell notebook and a Blackberry Bold…

Recession Shows the Real Meaning of Luxury

I only started realizing how out-of-whack the luxury industry had gotten back in October, while chatting with the well-respected publisher of a now-dead magazine at a charity event.

“You don’t watch Gossip Girl?” he said, incredulous. “But you’re in luxury!”

(That, of course, was when I still was In Luxury).

The next Monday I settled in to learn about my industry from a CW television drama about New York private school kids. After five minutes, I flipped it off, rattled. How was it luxury to watch 16-year-olds sporting handbags that even I couldn’t justify spending $10,000 on? How were they supposed to have acquired said bags? Is that what luxury had come to? Glee in watching people with expensive purses, and hoping that one day we might be able to own something similar?

How did this happen?…

Recession Briefing 10.23: Cities Least Hit by Recession

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

America’s strongest economies through the recession have one thing in common — home prices that never got too hot or too cold. Here are the 40 cities in America least touched by the recession. (BusinessWeek)

A broad majority in a new Washington Post-ABC News poll say the worst recession in generations is not over, and most remain worried about the direction of the economy and their own financial futures. (Washington Post)

A top White House economist says spending from the $787 billion economic stimulus has already had its biggest impact on economic growth and will likely not contribute to significant expansion next year. (Associated Press)

Screwed: 100 at NewPage

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

Today’s Total: 211

Wisconsin’s NewPage paper mill is laying off up to 100 workers… Legal service company WilmerHale has laid off 57 staff members across 4 offices yesterday… 50 employees are losing their jobs in Lockheed Martin‘s northeastern Pennsylvania plant… Conde Nast layoffs continue as 4 staffers are laid off at GQ magazine… Sony has allegedly cut half the workforce at Colorado-based Idol Minds game developer… Governer Rendell predicts more Pennsylvania layoffs but is holding off on details for about another month… Fresno City faces major budget deficit next year and layoffs may be on the horizon.

Stocking Up on Recession Collectibles

Is the recession really over? Most days it doesn’t feel like it. But someday, it really will be over and done, and you’ll regret not having stocked up on recession memorabilia, for which there is no better time than the present. Whether you’re looking for recession collectibles—like, say, an authentic Bear Stearns trader’s vest—or just some funny tchotchkes, downturn memorabilia is plentiful right now.

Peter Siegel, the CEO of Gotta Have It Collectibles on East 57th Street in New York doesn’t anticipate much of this recession memorabilia holding up in value, since it is “basically of the moment, as time goes on it will slowly wane.” He said Enron memorabilia used to be big, but the value fell as people lost interest, and the same thing happened with Bernie Madoff items after his arrest. But can you put a price on nostalgia? Or gag gifts? Here are 10 of our favorite pieces of recession memorabilia currently for sale. Get it while it’s hot, or at least before the downturn turns up…

Downturnaround Deals:

Every week, we post a handful of online deals hand-picked for Recessionwire readers by the nice people over at Savings.com. Feel free to pass them along to your friends. And if there’s something you’d like to see, let us know!

Get an exclusive 20% off your entire order of fabulous beauty products at Bliss. (See more Bliss Coupons.)

Get 20% off sitewide at Sephora. (See more Sephora Coupons.)

Take 10% off hotel bookings at CheapTickets. (See more Cheaptickets coupons.)…

Recession Briefing 10.22: Alligator Demand Sinks

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

The global economic recession is taking a bite out of an unlikely industry: the American alligator market. A drop in world demand for designer gator-skin handbags, watch straps and belts has caused an unprecedented decline in the industry. (USA Today)

The Obama administration plans to order companies that have received exceptionally large amounts of bailout money from the government to slash compensation for their highest-paid executives by about half on average. (Washington Post)…

Five hundred people applied recently for one administrative assistant job that pays $13 an hour. (New York Times)

Screwed: 5,000 at Mahindra Satyam

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

Today’s Total: 13, 515

Mahindra Satyam has sent layoff notifications to 5,000 employees in India… German mail-order giant Quelle plans the layoffs of 4,000 employees by November after declaring bankruptcy… Sallie Mae anticipates trimming at least 2,000 staffers… Iowa will hand out pink slips to 800 state workers due to a 10% budget cut… The state of Massachusetts announced its final layoff number: 726 employees have lost their jobs… Cook County Health and Hospital Systems of Chicago will lose 335 employees after a $60 million budget cut… Avis Budget Group Inc. is slated to lay off 220 Canadian employees… Bristol-Meyers Squibb announced the layoffs of 113 workers from its facility in Evansville, Ind… Missouri’s Department of Natural Resources plans to cut 100 workers in the coming weeks… Sacramento County’s Child Protective Services laid off 76 staff members in response to a budget deficit… 74 Shuttle America employees will lose their jobs by the end of the month…

When Clients Get the Shaft

Jennifer D., the owner of a small, 10-year old management consulting company in New York City, knows the challenges of fizzling relationships with clients, vendors and investors all too well. She spent two years courting a small newspaper company and three years working with the firm—then, earlier this year, under mounting debt, the owner was forced to sell out to a larger operation.

Relationship building is incredibly important for small business owners and entrepreneurs. But the economic downturn has made it much harder to maintain connections when key contacts are forced to leave the companies. It’s a problem that won’t be going away soon—downsizings and restructurings are likely to continue over the next year. What do you do to ride out these relationship changes?…

How to Ask for a Raise in Recession

Your boss would like you to think that there are a hundred people in the unemployment line who’d be thrilled at the prospect of having your job. But your boss is not letting you in on the bigger picture: The truth is, it is always more expensive to hire and train a new employee than to keep the one you have happy and productive—and that doesn’t change just because we’re in a recession. Understanding this one point already puts you at an advantage when it comes to salary negotiation, but there many other tactics that can give you an edge in asking for a raise during a recession as well.

Timing is everything. Now more than ever, timing is important when it comes to bringing up a raise with your boss. After all, doing so on a day when a dozen of your colleagues have been laid off probably isn’t the brightest idea. Instead, schedule a meeting soon after you finish an important assignment or immediately after the company has gotten some positive news…