Recession Briefing 12.14: Free Haircuts Go Uptown

“Unemployment haircuts” have become a weekly fixture at Cora’s studio for those lucky, or unlucky, enough to qualify. All it takes is an appointment and some proof — be it a pink slip or unemployment check — to join the growing list of job-hunters hoping for a spot each Tuesday. (LA Times)

Based on data from Stimulus Watch, we find that of the jobs the administration claims to have created with stimulus funds, only some 140,765 of them were private jobs. (Reason)

Retail sales jumped 1.3% in November, according to the Commerce Department, well more than the expected increase. (CNNMoney)…

Screwed: Possible 25,000 at Metro AG

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

Today’s Total: 34,033

Metro AG has acquired Arcandor AG’s Karstadt deparment stores, a merger that could result in up to 25,000 layoffs… CFR Marfa, Romania’s state-run freight rail company, is set to give 6,400 employees the axe as part of “restructuring”… Nokia will slash 2,000 jobs at their Salo factory in Finland… Barclays Bank handed out 150 pink slips to retail and commercial banking workers in India last week… RJE Telecom announced 105 job cuts last week due to “economic” considerations…

Be Wary of Credit Card Offers in the Mail

The recession hasn’t only lightened our wallets but our pile of mail, as well. Credit card deals offered through the mail are quickly drying up. Because of the economy, credit card companies have made cutbacks in direct marketing, which has decreased the number of new credit card offers mailed to consumers by 71%. Not only are people receiving fewer credit card offers in the mail, but the ones still going out are becoming less and less desirable and legitimate. As a result, chances are that the offers mailed to your house aren’t the best.

The marketing agencies that send the deals choose to make offers that you are most likely to accept, not the ones that are best for you. The perks in unsolicited offers—cash back, awards points, free flights—often obscure the hazards, tricking you into accepting credit that could seriously threaten your financial health…

Unemployment-Friendly Gifts: Mom

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 wildly inexpensive. Happy Shopping!

Mom: Stationery
Mom’s love thank you notes–they love writing them, receiving them and nagging you to send them–so why not give her something you know she’ll use: A stunning stationery set…

Screwed: 800 at ATK Space Systems

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

Today’s Total: 1,128

ATK Space Systems will lay off 800 employees in 2010 with cuts taking place in February and May… Philadelphia-based insurer Independence Blue Cross is expected to lay off 200 employees in the next few months… The Livonia School Board will vote Monday on new budget cuts which include the elimination of 45 teaching positions…

Recession Briefing 12.11: McDonald’s Gets More Wallet-Friendly

McDonald’s is adding more dollar items to its breakfast menu, in an effort to jump-start sales that have been hit by the high jobless rate. (Reuters)

The Obama administration is proposing creating a new TARP program that gives banks access to government money without restrictions—as long as they use it to make loans to small businesses. (Washington Post)

Some businesses have been forced to close in Lake Oswego, Ore., but there has also been a small boom in new businesses thanks to the downturn. (The Oregonian)…

Big, and Not a Failure (Book Review)

If you’re still trying to figure out where to point the finger on last year’s financial crisis, Andrew Ross Sorkin’s “Too Big Too Fail” will offer some guidance, but not enough.

Beginning with the tightening of the credit markets in the fall of 2007, Sorkin, a New York Times reporter who heads a daily Wall Street blog called Dealbook, leverages his breadth of sources to portray a comprehensive view of the year leading up to the fall of Lehman Brothers and near-collapse of the entire financial system last fall…

Downturnaround Deals: Banana Republic, Gap, Flip, Urban Outfitters, Gamestop, Shoes.com

Every week, we post a handful of online deals hand-picked for Recessionwire readers by the nice people over at Savings.com. Feel free to pass them along to your friends. They also have a new service, Savings Little Helpers. Tweet @savings using #helpmesave and tell them what you’re shopping for. The Savings.com experts will dig up the best coupon and send it to you.

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See more Banana Republic coupons.

Recession Briefing 12.10: A 50 Percent Tax on British Bonuses

The British government wants to levy a one-time, 50-percent tax on banking bonuses over $41,000. “I am giving them a choice,” said Chancellor of the Exchequer Alistair Darling. “They can use their profits to build up their capital base. If they insist on paying substantial rewards, I am determined to claw money back for the taxpayer.” (BusinessWeek)

A new survey shows that employees are unhappy with the way they’ve been treated in the downturn, and many plan to quit their jobs next year. (Chicago Sun-Times)

The public thinks more highly of politicians, lawyers and insurance companies than bankers, thanks to their big bonuses and taxpayer bailouts. (Bloomberg)…

Screwed: 900 in California Prison System

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

Today’s Total: 2,091

California is set to lay off close to 900 teachers and vocational instructors from its prisons in January… Convergys announced its intentions to hand out 500 pink slips to Canadian employees… Injex Industries, Inc. plans the layoffs of 378 people and may shut its doors altogether… Publishers Circulation Fulfillment, Inc. cut 97 jobs after the New York Times gave its business to another vendor… U.S. Foodservice slashed 95 positions due to “declining sales”… GMAC Financial Services laid off 45 mortgage workers in Charlotte, N.C… Stanley Works laid off 40 Hand Tools workers at its New Britain, Conn. location…