Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: The Host/Hostess

Just because you’ve been laid off doesn’t mean you feel good laying off on giving. We’ve come up with a list of thoughtful, unique and inexpensive gifts for every friend and family member.

Hostess: Homemade Fudge
Hopefully you’ve got plenty of holiday parties that will take your mind off of the job situation for an hour or two. Instead of buying a bottle of wine for each, consider whipping up a few batches of fudge, using the easy Baker’s Chocolate recipe available here…

Don’t Close Your Business, Change It

When Amy Lechelt-Basta opened her clothing boutique on Chicago’s north side in 2006, sales were strong and business was bustling. But by this past summer, things had deteriorated so rapidly that she had to close up shop. However, all was not lost, because she transitioned her skills and expertise selling clothes into a consulting business that advises individuals on their wardrobes. Take a lesson from Lechelt-Basta: When life throws you lemons, make lemonade.

If you’re one of the many business owners whose companies have been pummeled by the economy this year, you don’t have to throw the baby out with the bath water. Even if you think you’ve hit the end of your resources and are considering bankruptcy as the only option, you probably still have some tricks up your sleeve; find the hidden strengths in your business and needs of your clients and you’ll find a new market opportunity…

Recession Briefing 12.16: Sad Santas at the Mall

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

The recession is bumming out mall Santas as many children are asking for essentials such as clothing and jobs for their moms and dads rather than the usual toys and games. (Wassau Herald)

Many of the lasting scars of the recession of 2008-09 are clearly understood. The world’s economic output will be persistently lower, the balance of economic power has shifted towards emerging economies, and governments face years of repair work on their budgets. But the social scars are potentially deeper, longer-lasting and harder to quantify. (Financial Times)

A 2% mortgage? A growing number of homeowners are getting dream workouts on their mortgages, and nearly 80% of all loan modifications resulted in lower payments in the second quarter. (CNN/Money)…

Screwed: 1,000 at the Philippine National Construction Corporation

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

Today’s Total: 2,087

1,000 employees at the Philippine National Construction Corporation face possible layoffs… Dell Inc. is planning to lay off 700 workers from its plant in Malaysia, about 16% of its Malaysian workforce… Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis is cutting 200 jobs… Midtown New York’s Saks Fifth Avenue, the store’s flagship location, is handing out about 116 pink slips after the holidays… Utica Community Schools has approved 43 employee layoffs… California’s Tulare County Board of Supervisors has approved 12 worker layoffs from the county’s Resource Management Agency, effective Jan. 15… Colorado State University is planning 10 staff layoffs at its Fort Collins campus… Fresno County Public Defenders Office will lay off 6 attorneys by the end of the month, causing concern for its ability to accept cases… Alabama prison commissioner Richard Allen claimed that a budget shortfall may lead to layoffs and prison closings…

Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: For Grandparents

Just because you’ve been laid off doesn’t mean you feel good laying off on giving. The idea of entering my Mom’s house on Christmas Day empty-handed feels worse than charging up my credit card. So we’ve come up with a list of thoughtful, unique and inexpensive gifts for every friend and family member.

Grandparents: Charity Donation
Your grandparents are the last people you should actually buy something for. Why? Because they don’t need anything…

The Recession Will End… When Obama Tames the “Fat Cat” Bankers

“I did not run for office to be helping out a bunch of fat cat bankers on Wall Street.” (via 60 Minutes)

Well, it looks like the recession is back on. Despite comments over the weekend from Larry Summers who said that “everybody agrees that the recession is over,” there’s still that niggling problem of 10 percent unemployment. And outsized bonuses on Wall Street, which only create a further disparity between the rich and everyone else. Populist rage over the bonuses and Obama’s claim that he gives his record so far a “solid b-plus” are a sign that people are mad, and not ready to call an end to the tough times—because they’re still experiencing them…

Recession Briefing 12.15: Drugs Saved the Economy

Antonio Maria Costa, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime, said he has seen evidence that the proceeds of organised crime were “the only liquid investment capital” available to some banks on the brink of collapse last year. He said that a majority of the $352bn (£216bn) of drugs profits was absorbed into the economic system as a result. (The Guardian)

35 percent of American consumers plan to buy a farm grown tree for the holidays, compared to 9 percent who plan to buy an artificial Christmas tree. The Home Depot, the world’s largest retailer of Christmas trees, reports no decline in sales over last year so far. (Foxnews)

The bankers are treating President Obama like he’s just another politician who talks big but backs down from taking concrete action. And he will continue to get dissed as long as he behaves like one. (Portfolio.com)…

Screwed: 14,000 at Deutsche Bahn

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

Today’s Total: 24,872

Deutsche Bahn, Germany’s national raid provider, will slash 14,000 jobs over the next five years… ArecelorMittal, the world’s leading steel maker, is contemplating cutting 10,000 people in France… Cummins announced the demise of 212 Diesel Workers Union members due to falling heavy-truck sales… San Diego’s City Council approved trimming 200 positions in order to close a budget deficit… Over 140 firefighters and police officers face layoffs in Tucson, Ariz. as part of a proposed $32 million budget cut…

Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: For Dad

I was laid off in October, but the idea of entering my Mom’s house on Christmas Day empty-handed feels worse than charging up my credit card. So we’ve come up with a list of thoughtful, unique gifts for every friend and family member. The best part? They’re all inexpensive.

Dad: Something Practical-But-Entertaining
Of course he doesn’t want a tie, but what does Dad really want?…

Tips for Holiday Tipping

recession is a great excuse for cutting back on your spending—be it the amount you pay for a pair of shoes or the number of nights you’ll go out to expensive dinners each week. But try blaming the recession for your slimmer-than-usual tips. People are generally okay when others spend less on themselves, but they’re less forgiving when it comes to penny-pinching on gratuities—especially during the holiday season.

Not that they’re not cutting back on tipping themselves. A recent report released by PayScale found that hourly gratuities dropped an average of 5 percent in 2009 from the year before. Meanwhile, other surveys have shown that up to 26 percent of Americans plan on spending less on holiday tips this year. Only 6 percent plan on spending more…