Downturnaround Deals: Bliss, American Apparel, H&R Block, Levi’s, Kenneth Cole, Kodak

If you’re going to spend, at least save a little doing it. To help, every week we post some great deals hand-picked by our friends at Savings.com.

Get 15% off your entire order at Bliss, purveyor of covetable beauty products. (See more Bliss coupons.)

Take 15% off your order at American Apparel. (See more American Apparel coupons.)..

Stop Reading and Start Sleeping

Want to get back on your feet in 2010? Forget a better (or simply a) job, salary or place to live. The key to success lies in sleep, according to the Huffington Post, which is going crazy over shut-eye time. In a series of posts, the website notes that sleep improves memory, keeps you healthy, lowers your stress levels, and increases performance on the job. Arianna Huffington has even set up a “sleep challenge” for a month. But our favorite idea is an on-the-job nap program proposed by Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute. Who wouldn’t want that? Those out of work are in an even better spot to take up the challenge!…

Recession Briefing: Goodbye, Tavern on the Green

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

Despite extensive government intervention in the housing market, some policy makers at the Federal Reserve are worried that even more might need to be done. (New York Times)

The aftershocks from deep recessions reverberate for years, even decades, and take an enduring toll on everything from government finances to countless upended individual lives. What economist John Irons calls “economic scarring” will long serve as a reminder of the 2007-09 recession. (USA Today)

Lacking a license and loaded with debt, Tavern on the Green, the glittery New York City eatery, went dark after a final champagne-drenched fete on New Year’s Eve. On Jan. 13 relics of the shuttered restaurant will be auctioned off over three days. (Wall Street Journal)…

Screwed: 3,000 in Romania

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

Today’s total: 4,642

In Romania, the government has decided to cut 3,000 workers who provide child care and elderly assistance. … Lockheed Martin will eliminate 1,200 positions as part of a restructuring. … Debswana, a joint venture between DeBeers and Botswana, will lay off 1,000 workers at the diamond operation there. … Call center company Sitel will close a Georgia office, putting 302 employees out of work. … United Airlines will lay off 140 workers and demote 100 additional workers to part-time status. …

Now’s the Time to Stock Up on Spa Services

Recessions are stressful. People are out of work or overworked, they move to smaller houses, they’re generally pissed off. But that’s no excuse for being unkempt or un-massaged—especially with the bargain prices we’re seeing at day spas these days.

Some in the spa industry claim it’s “recession-proof,” but guess what? It’s not. Plenty have gone out of business, and many are struggling to get people in the door. You can benefit from the big discounts they’re offering—sometimes more than 50 percent off. And because you can buy vouchers that last for up to a year, if you have some extra cash, you can actually stock up on 12 months worth of bargain beauty and wellness services. Here are some sources to check out:

We’ve already noted our affection for Groupon, which offers discounts in more than two dozen cities around the U.S.

Recession Lexicon: Femterprise

n./ Female-run business. Also, fempreneur.

Much has been made of the fact that women fared somewhat better in the recession than men (resulting in a mancession), particularly when it came to layoffs. But new data shows that the coming decade will also see a steady increase in the number of businesses started by women….

Recession Briefing: Job Doesn’t Equal Happy

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

Hit by the recession, many families are moving their children from private to public schools. The shift is already bringing subtle changes to the culture of many public schools as some families seek the personal attention they received from private schools. (USA Today)

As the sour economy leaves people less and less able to pay their debts, the abuses by debt collectors have become so flagrant and numerous that authorities have moved to shut down several agencies where the most heartless and bullying telephone calls originated. At least 20 people have been sued or arrested on criminal charges. (Associated Press)…

Screwed: 230 at Pilgrim’s Pride Corp.

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

Today’s Total: 593

Pilgrim’s Pride Corp. is cutting approximately 230 corporate and administrative jobs throughout its corporation… AT&T has announced plans to lay off 160 Connecticut employees by mid-February… Indiana steel plant Alcoa Warrick Operations plans to reduce its workforce by 145 employees… Heating and cooling systems supplier Westcode Inc. has cut 45 employees… Opus Northwest is eliminating 13 positions at its Portland and Seattle offices… Gov. Schwarzenegger may extend California‘s worker furloughs for another year…

What I Learned About Jobs in 2009

Last year was the biggest learning experience I’ve had. In 2009 I had to learn how to stay positive when almost on a daily basis I was interacting with candidates who were losing their homes, savings and any sort of self respect. And I had to be flexible when we saw our own company’s recruiting efforts become fruitless because there were so few jobs to fill.

After all, last year drove home that people who are able to change and adapt to the changing economy were the most successful. With zero experience in radio, we launched a web radio show, landing interviews with Keith Ferrazzi (author of Never Eat Alone), Michael Port (author of Book Yourself Solid), and the brash Jeffrey Fox (author of How to Become a Rainmaker). We put up their bios and shared the interviews with our talent pool. Did it make us a single penny? No. But we learned (some more) and were able to give back.

I think 2010 is going to be an interesting year–and it will be more successful if we use all the lessons we learned in the last 12 months:…

The Recession Really Ends… This Year. Period.

Okay, so here we are: 2010. According to even the most doomsaying of economists—none less than Nouriel “Dr. Doom” Roubini—this is when things get better.

“I have said on numerous occasions that the recession would last roughly 24 months. Therefore, we are 19 months into that recession. If, as I predicted, the recession is over by the end of the year, it will have lasted 24 months with a recovery only beginning in 2010. Simply put I am not forecasting economic growth before year’s end.” (July 16, 2009, via RGE, Recessionwire)

Whether you agree with Larry Summers that “everybody agrees that the recession is over“…