News

Recession Briefing 11.19: Making America Run

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

Americans are lacing up athletic shoes and signing up to run in 5Ks, 10-milers and even marathons in record numbers. Running “gives you something to control — you can’t control the stock market or the economy, but you can control your health,” said Ryan Lamppa with Running USA. (Agence France Presse)

With the national unemployment rate above 10%, and employed folks looking to bolster budgets by taking second jobs, the competition for seasonal retail, movie theater, package-delivery and other holiday posts is fierce this year. (USA Today)

A Human Rights Watch report on Cuba takes the government of President Raul Castro to task for, among other things, jailing those without jobs. The report cited the cases of dozens of people charged with “dangerousness” for being unemployed. (New York Times/Economix)

New home construction took an unexpected tumble last month, reflecting the bumpy nature of a tentative housing recovery. Housing starts fell 10.6 percent in October, according to Commerce Department data. (Washington Post)

One million people will stop receiving unemployment benefits in January unless Congress makes a move before the Christmas recess, according to an analysis by the National Employment Law Project. (Huffington Post)

Immigrants had a lower unemployment rate than native-born workers during the last economic boom, but the severe recession reversed that trend, according to a study released Wednesday (Dallas Morning News)

The Obama administration is poised to extend the life of the highly unpopular $700 billion financial bailout and, to display a commitment to fiscal responsibility, is planning to use much of the leftover funds to reduce the national debt. (Washington Post)

Only a tiny percentage of troubled homeowners have received permanent modifications under President Obama’s foreclosure prevention plan, raising concerns about the effectiveness of the $75 billion effort. (CNN/Money)

A new study finds that personal bankruptcy has become a largely middle-class phenomenon led by filers who are college-educated and owners of homes. (USA Today)

The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits held at a 10-month low last week, a sign firings are letting up as the economy recovers. Initial jobless claims were unchanged at 505,000 in the week ended Nov. 14. (Bloomberg)

If you come across a good article or blog post about the recession pass it on. To receive Recession Briefing in your inbox, subscribe to our daily email.

Tags: bailout, bankruptcy, health, News, real estate, shopping, spending, The Unemployed Life