Recession Briefing: Super Bowl Still in Recession

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

It appears the scale of the Super Bowl party scene hasn’t fully recovered from the recession. Frank Supovitz, an NFL senior vice president, said there are more events this year than in 2009 but that celebratory spending likely won’t return to its peak of two or three years ago. (Dallas Morning News)

The U.S. unemployment rate unexpectedly declined in January, but the economy continued to shed jobs and revisions painted a bleaker picture for 2009, casting doubt over the labor market’s strength. The unemployment rate, calculated using a household survey, fell to 9.7% last month from an unrevised 10% in December. (Wall Street Journal)

Some homeowners who may well be eligible for the Federal loan modification program have been denied because their troubles were not deemed “permanent.” The cases all occurred before Treasury explicitly barred such denials in December. Despite the change in guidelines, however, those homeowners are still in limbo. (ProPublica)…

Screwed: 1,000 in Los Angeles

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

Today’s Total: 2,328

Lost Angeles Mayor Villaraigosa has ordered 1,000 municipal job cuts… Hartford, CT based insurance company Aetna Inc. has laid off 625 employees… 200 Wayne County employees are in danger of losing their jobs if the county’s temporary layoff plan isn’t implemented… Republic Airways Holdings Inc. will be transitioning to jet service, resulting in 175 employee layoffs this coming April… California’s Alvord School District is considering 128 staff layoffs… Wisconsin’s Bay Shipbuilding Co. is planning 116 job cuts due to begin in early April…General Motors will leave 64 Jacksonville warehouse workers jobless this March… Beverly Hills Unified School District is recommended to lay off 20 teachers to meat budget cuts.

Downturnaround Deals: Proflowers, Victoria’s Secret, My Wines Direct, FTD, SkinStore

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(See more My Wines Direct coupons.)…

11 Easy Steps to Relocating

If Tom Joad were here today (and real), he might just sit tight in his home state of Oklahoma.

That’s because, despite record high unemployment and an unequal distribution of jobs across the fifty states, fewer unemployed Americans are hitting the road in search of work since World War II.

Worse: only 7.3% of job seekers relocated for work in the fourth quarter of 2009, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

Perhaps employers just aren’t hiring across state lines, but some people have it tough—saddled with debt, or a home that they can’t sell. Who’s got the cash for a big move into the unknown?…

Recession Briefing: The First Rule of Banking Is…

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

Recession-weary bankers are joining Fight Club-like mixed martial arts gyms. “We get a lot of finance guys,” said Max McGarr, the gym’s program director and a professional fighter. “It’s a good release from their job. If you lost hundreds of thousands of dollars, it’s good to come here and get it out.” (Bloomberg)

Health-care spending in the United States grew last year despite a contracting economy, amounting to 17.3 percent of the gross domestic product, according to estimates released Wednesday. (Washington Post)

Gifts to colleges and universities declined almost 12 percent in the 2009 fiscal year, to $27.85 billion, according to the Council for Aid to Education’s annual survey of voluntary support of education. It was the steepest decline in the survey’s 53-year history. (New York Times)…

Screwed: 350 at Wal-Mart

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

Today’s Total: 1,002

Wal-Mart announced another 350 job cuts at its Arkansas headquarters after last week’s 12,700 cuts, but claims that this will be the last round…Diebold Inc. plans on laying off 250 employees in Green, Ohio…The recent acquisition of Ames Safety Envelope Co. by Tab Products Co. will lead to 150 workers without jobs…In Illinois, Maine Township High School District is eliminating 135 jobs in order to close their budget deficit…Enerplus Resources Fund cut 65 staff members, 7 percent of their workforce, yesterday in Calgary and Denver…Poinard Pharmaceuticals plans on laying off 28 employees–over half of its 50-person workforce–in Seattle and San Francisco by Friday…In Texas, Better Beverages will be laying off 24 workers on Friday due to a decision by parent company Pepsi Bottling Group to cut production in Hallettsville….Adidas America announced an unspecified number of job cuts in Portland, Oregon…

Recession Obsession: Economy Bites

We’re enjoying a new web show, Economy Bites, that just hit our radar screen. Created just last year in the heart of the recession, it’s dedicated to making cooking cheap and easy — perfect for those of us who have less money without out jobs or less time because we’re working so hard to stay employed.

Hosted by Texas native Allie Schwartz, the show’s motto is, “Cook on Sunday, eat til Thursday.” It’s not exactly gourmand fare. If the Food Network is steamy, glistening food porn, then Economy Bites is amateur food porn…

Stop Wallowing and Start Working–Volunteer Working

You’ve drowned in self-pity and drunk yourself into depression. Now as a victim of the recession it might be time to try doing something new and slightly more productive with your free time—like helping someone else as a volunteer.

After all, scouring online job boards and e-mailing potential business contacts can’t take up all of your spare time. And with more than 63 million people volunteering in the past year—almost 2 million more than the number who volunteered during the 2007/2008 period—there’s no telling who you’ll meet while helping out, or what that new contact could lead to. All in all, the experience could add a bullet point to your resume, and perhaps lead you to a job. Oh, and your efforts help those in need (besides yourself).

The trickiest part may be getting started. After the jump we’ve put together a roundup of a few of the many interesting websites and mobile applications devoted to helping people find projects in their local communities and beyond….

Recession Briefing: Booze Gets Pricier

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

Americans’ love affair with top-shelf booze cooled last year as the recession took a toll on high-priced tipples. People drank more liquor but turned to cheaper brands, according to a report by an industry group. (Washington Post)

On Tuesday night, a new New York City reality TV show, “Job Hunt,” kicked off, starring actual job seekers. The 10-part series, which runs on the NYC Life network, tries to help New Yorkers get back on their feet if they are out of work. (Christian Science Monitor)

The number of car dealerships in the United States has been shrinking since the 1940s, and the Big Three’s recent troubles have hastened the slide. So what happens to the abandoned showrooms? Many stay vacant, but others see opportunity in the empty space. Here are some of the best examples of “recycled” dealerships in North America. (The Big Money)…

Screwed: 700 at DST Systems Inc.

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

Today’s Total: 1,488

In Kansas City, DST Systems Inc. is expected to lay off 700 employees, 7 percent of the company workforce… Gov. Gibbons of Nevada is proposing a budget plan that will include 300 layoffs… In the metro Atlanta area, CompuCredit Corp. has terminated 200 positions… Miami’s AeroThrust Corp. has announced 129 layoffs, effective April 1… Michigan’s Steelcase furniture maker has laid off 65 workers, claiming that another 85 cuts are possible… The Mamaroneck School District is considering to lay off 54 employees by next year…Omaha-based Infogroup has laid off 40 employees this week… Hazleton, PA. is warned to expect an undeclared number of municipal layoffs this coming May…