Recession Briefing 10.14: The Military’s Own Upside to the Downturn

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

Aided by a bleak job market, the U.S. military met all of its recruitment goals in the past year for the first time since it became an all-volunteer force in 1973. (Reuters)

The nation’s census chief said Tuesday that the housing crisis, economic recession and waves of new immigrants pose enormous challenges that could make an accurate 2010 count more difficult and expensive than a decade ago. (Los Angeles Times)

“The recession … has fundamentally changed the traditional business travel paradigm,” said Charles Petruccelli, the president of the American Express Global Travel Services division. In the last year, he added, “we have seen some companies cutting their travel expenses by 70 percent.” (New York Times)…

Screwed: 1,000 at the Chicago Transit Authority

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

Today’s total: 1,979

Service cuts and fare increases within the Chicago Transit Authority (CTA) may result in as many as 1,000 union worker layoffs… As many as 750 New Hampshire state workers are in danger of being laid off by the end of the month… Iowa Department of Public Safety budget cuts puts 169 workers in danger of being laid off… More financial cuts at the Ohio Green School Disctrict may leave 60 teachers and staff out of work come Jan. 1… Business Week staff of 400 is facing as-yet-unknown number of layoffs after the publication’s acquisition by Bloomberg LP… Temporary layoffs in November for 15 percent of Italian car maker Ferrari’s workforce…

5 Things We Learned From Losing Our Dream Home

On June 30, 2009, we handed over the keys to our dream home, a beautiful house on a ridge in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. We had lost the 10-month battle to save it and were headed into the unknown with nothing but the solace that we had at least avoided foreclosure — and more importantly, that we had each other. We finally got it. It took losing our dream home to profoundly ground us in what really matters and teach us that it’s possible to be happy in the face of any circumstance… even foreclosure.

Here’s what we learned along the way.

1. Love wins. In the battle between love and money, love definitely wins. I know this for fact. I had the chance to prove it…

The Recession Will End… When We All Say So

Last week, a lot of you let us know when and how the recession will be over for you in our giveaway. Not surprisingly, common themes revolved around jobs, college tuition, and real estate. These days these topics make up the recession buzz and sound almost like another headline or statistic on the recession’s status. Yet, your input brought the recession’s tensions, struggles, frustrations, and hopes to a very human level—reminders that whether we like it or not, we’re in this together.

As mom Carol Connolly said, “I will know that the recession is over when I can stop wondering and worrying if my husband or I or one of my children will lose our jobs.”…

Recession Briefing 10.13: When Prison is Better Than the Job Market

What you need to know today to survive and thrive in the recession.
Inmates know that the economy is still weak and the job prospects aren’t good, officials say. With no job and nowhere to live, some inmates have decided they’re better off in jail. (New Hampshire Union-Leader)

“Student loans have become the 21st century version of indentured servitude.” (The Atlantic)

The financial crisis has blown a hole in the rosy forecasts of pension funds that cover teachers, police officers and other government employees, casting into doubt whether these public systems will be able to keep their promises to future generations. (Washington Post)…

Screwed: 800 at Clariant

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

Today’s Total: 1,837

Clariant is set to reduce its workforce by 800 in Switzerland… Moog Aircraft Group handed out 220 layoff notices to workers in Utah… Aramark is set to cut 163 employees in Huntsville, Ala… 130 at Boeing received layoff notices on Friday… Albany’s preliminary budget plan for 2010 calls for the layoffs of 109 county employees… Team Broadcast Services is set to eliminate 96 workers by the end of November… Lockheed Martin will lose 65 workers next month… Baker Hughes will eliminate 62 positions from its Houston, Texas office… Yakima County, Wash. anticipates cutting 60 workers to help close a budget gap… Volvo’s factory in Pulaski County, Va will cut 50 jobs… University of Toledo Medical Center announced the layoffs of 50 employees… Centenary College has cut 25 staff members in an effort to balance the school’s budget… Condé Nast layoffs continued with the company’s announcement that Glamour laid off 7 staff members from the sales side… Current Media, founded by former Vice President Al Gore, anticipates laying off more local employees although details are not yet available… ZillionTV reportedly laid off one third of its staff in a restructuring effort…

Could Blogging Cost You Your Unemployment Check?

A laid-off lawyer’s personal blog, which brought her a total of $238.75 over the course of months, prompted the geniuses at the New York State Department of Labor to cut off her benefits.

Seems the DOL had conflicting opinions over whether the money she “made” from her blog about meal deals constituted residual income (money made from past work, like royalties from a book) or self-employment income. So they put her checks on hold while they investigate her “business,” according to a story at Forbes.com.

Blogging isn’t the only hazard the unemployed face. A friend of mine who was laid off in November is fighting the DOL over her charity work…

Downturnaround Deals: Secret Spoon, Apothica, Wine.com, Puma, Linea Pelle

Suffering from austerity exhaustion? Got the urge to splurge? We’ve been there. If you’re going to start spending again, make it thrifty and pay a little less for your indulgences. Every week, we post a handful of online deals hand-picked for Recessionwire readers from Savings.com. Feel free to pass them along to your friends. And if there’s something you’d like to see, let us know!

Brownies, truffles and hand-dipped strawberries are relatively inexpensive indulgences. Especially with a 15% discount on all orders at Secret Spoon. No code needed. See more Secret Spoon coupons.)…

Recession Briefing 10.9: Rappers Not Recession-Proof!

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

The recession is even affecting rappers like Slim Thug, their hangers-on, and those that make their bling. “I haven’t sold a single diamond-encrusted glock in about two years.” (Daily Show)

As Harvard cuts back as a result of the recession, students no longer have hot breakfasts in their dorms and varsity athletes are no longer guarantees free sweat suits. (New York Times)

Airline delays at South Florida airports have eased during the recession because fewer people are traveling and fewer planes are flying. (Miami Herald)…

Screwed: 700 at Potash Corporation

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

Today’s Total: 1,018

The Potash Corporation has laid off 700 mine workers at its Lanigan and Rocanville mines… The 2010 Albany County budget includes 109 layoffs, most from the county nursing home… Aviation firm AAR Aircraft Services is laying off 106 employees this December… High-performance-audio maker, Stillwater Designs, is laying off 50 employees by the end of the month… Shaba Games has laid off 30 employees, leaving only 50 percent of its former workforce still employed… Conde Nast has laid off 15 employees from its digital unit… LPGA headquarters announced 8 staff layoffs, including the elimination of the Deputy Commissioner position.