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Recession Briefing 12.1: Only 12 Percent of Stimulus Spent??

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

Only $100 billion of the $787 billion stimulus package passed nine months ago has actually been spent by the federal government so far, with another $90 billion of stimulus coming in the form of tax reductions, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office reported. (Huffington Post)

The proliferation of underemployed workers could represent a profound reordering of the employment structure. Many people who had comfortable full-time jobs with benefits and advancement opportunities now are cobbling together smaller jobs often at lower pay. (Wall Street Journal)

Reviled by the public and spurned in private, more bankers have reportedly been looking for solace in adultery. IllicitEncounters.com said it has seen a huge increase in the number of financial workers signing up to have affairs after the collapse of the markets in October last year. (Reuters)

The recession has compounded a decades-long problem for black workers, who began the downturn facing a far higher jobless rate than the general population and have fared worse since. (MSNBC)

The post-Thanksgiving shopping marathon continued Monday with nearly 100 million shoppers expected to troll online retailers for bargains on what has become known as Cyber Monday. (Washington Post)

Highway-construction companies around the country, having completed the mostly small projects paid for by the federal economic-stimulus package, are starting to see their business run aground, an ominous sign for the nation’s weak employment picture. (Wall Street Journal)

Fewer U.S. patients are traveling abroad for non-emergency medical procedures, such as hip replacements or cosmetic surgery, because of the recession. (USA Today)

“It’s time for an emergency jobs program,” writes Paul Krugman. “How is a jobs program different from a second stimulus? It’s a matter of priorities.” (New York Times)

Almost half of drivers in a survey (46%) have deferred car-related expenditure over the past year. (Telegraph)

Here are a list of ten surprising countries that owe vast sums of money to foreign entities. All except for one have trimmed their debt from where it stood the year prior. (Huffington Post)

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Tags: business, economy, health, politics, race, shopping, stimulus, The Unemployed Life, Wall Street