Love in the Time of Layoff: Recession Helps Relationships Take Root

Timing-wise, it wasn’t the most promising beginning.

He was headed to the opposite coast. But the thousands of miles of separation was the least of our potential problems.

We started dating in the midst of one of the most stressful periods in both of our lives. I had just been laid off from a job I loved, and my industry seemed to be imploding. He would be gone for an unspecified period of time to reorganize his company and — he hoped — keep it from going under.

We were worried about money and questioning our careers. One of us had been stripped of title and paycheck, and was adjusting to a new identity. The other was wondering whether the enterprise he had built from scratch could survive the year…

I’m pretty certain that I would still be carrying on my relationship if I hadn’t lost my job. But it probably would have progressed more slowly. The downturn not only gave us more time and flexibility, it allowed us to see each other clearly and refocus our values.

Saving on Spa Days

Whether you’ve lost your job or you’re struggling to keep the one you still have, there’s no denying it’s a stressful time out there. But even as women cut back on expensive gyms, luxury vacations, and “It” bags, one thing we’re not forsaking is the spa.

According to statistics from the International SPA Association, overall revenues at spas across the country were up last year, even as the total time spent per visit went down. How could that be? It turns out more stressed out women—and men, let’s be honest—are visiting day spas for treatments that take less time, usually 30 minutes or less, than in years past…

Screwed: Possible 13,000 at Saturn

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

Today’s Total: 15,184

GM’s plan to cease production of Saturn cars could lead to close to 13,000 job losses as dealers close around the country…Pratt & Whitney Canada will lay off 410 members of their workforce due to declining corporate jet sales…Arizona’s Department of Public Safety will lay off 400 employees due to budget cuts…Manganese Bronze Holdings is set to cut 400 workers from its plant in Coventry, England…Chrysler Financial announced plans to cut 360 employees from its headquarters in Detroit and other satellite offices…Windstream Corp. will lay off 350 employees nationwide…Midwest Airlines will cut 170 jobs by November…Force Protection Inc. handed out 120 layoff notices, impacting 10% of its workforce…Beckman Coulter will lay off 84 employees from offices in Fullerton and Brea, Calif…James E. Brown & Associates, a small law firm in Washington, D.C. was forced to lay off 10 employees after a payroll worker embezzled $1.2 million…The Blue Jays have cut an undisclosed number of business-side workers….

Recession Briefing 10.1: The Rich List

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

In this job market, people will do some crazy things. Say, for instance, flailing around with their clothes on fire, plunging 50 feet into an enormous air bag, or being catapulted through the air headfirst like a human missile. At the International Stunt School, those daring feats are just part of the beginner’s course.(Associated Press)

America’s 400 richest people became a whole lot poorer over the last 12 months, according to the latest Forbes list. Their total wealth fell by a whopping $300 billion to a total $1.27 trillion, with 314 of the 400 experiencing a fall in fortunes. (Newser/Forbes)

In hard times, entertainment either grinds it out with the rest of us, or it waltzes. As much as people want to see their experiences mirrored in pop culture, they also want to escape them. (Associated Press)…