Screwed: 1,600 at Siemens

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

Today’s Total: 4,384

Good News: US Census Bureau met its goal of creating 2,200 jobs by July 1; City Colleges of Chicago created 450 summer jobs.

Bad News: In Siemens offices around the world, 1,600 workers were let go… In Ghana, 950 Vodafone employees will lose their jobs. … IMS Health, a pharmaceutical maker in Norwalk, Conn., is planning to lay off 850 employees… Whirlpool will cut 300 jobs in September… Some 300 coal miners will lose their jobs at Xstrata Coal… US Steel in Serbia will reduce its workforce by 206. … In Avon Lake, Ohio, 178 Ford workers are to be let go…

Recession Lexicon: Silver Crime

/n. Aggressive and potentially criminal backlash from the over-65 crowd angry about getting screwed by the economy. First used by a British newspaper to describe a group of German pensioners who ganged up on their financial adviser and picked up by the New York Times‘ Ben Schott. Of course, the seniors in question here lost some $3 million. State-side, there are conflicting reports on whether seniors are more vulnerable to layoffs or in fact less, since they are experienced, reliable workers.

Ex. No, Grandpa isn’t coming to Christmas this year—he was arrested for a silver crime, shaking down his broker…

Love in the Time of Layoff: Surviving a Split

Getting laid off by your boss is one thing, but downsized in your relationship? Often, that’s harder.

Jessica did not see it coming. According to the celebrity press, Ms. Simpson and Tony Romo had locked it down. He had won over her finicky dad and the rest of her posse. They ignored the hounding press and developed their own happy hideaway. But July 9, Romo called it quits, leaving Jessica “sad, mad, and confused.”

Getting dumped always sucks, no matter what else is going on in your life, or in the world. And recessions are no barrier against divorce and separation. Just ask Jon and Kate, or Amy Winehouse (well, not the best example), or Timothy Hutton, who is splitting with his wife of nine years…

What Recession? An Airline for Your Pet

Pet Airways launched Tuesday with the tagline “Travel for your best friend.” And “where pets fly in the main cabin, NOT in cargo!”

Well, thank goodness for that. If your pet has been roughing it in this downturn, good news is that Pet Airways is here. For just $300 *each way*, you can send your pup from New York to Los Angeles and back. If you want to meet him there, you’ll have to find your own way. So far, only dogs and cats are welcome.

The pets will be treated to regular bathroom, feeding and play stops along the way, and they will each have their own carrier spot where seats usually go. Flight attendants will check on the pets en route every fifteen minutes.

The real sign that boomier times are here? Pet Airways is booked for the next two months…

The ‘Forgotten, Silent Crowd’

While Dan Gross is saying the recession is over, the unemployment rate is hitting levels nearing the Great Depression. But as the New York Times’ David Leonhardt points out — it doesn’t feel like the Great Depression. The vast unemployed are not becoming the vast homeless. The few breadlines that there are have not become legion. On this site, we have even noted the “Nouveau Poor” — the pretension of the downturn, as a fashionable posture.

The point that is missing is that this is a new kind of downturn. This is the Great Recession because it is not just any recession, in which primarily lower levels of the labor ladder are hit…

How to Survive and Thrive in the Recovery

An ounce of a prevention is worth a pound of cure, they say, and many of us wish we’d thought ahead about the downturn we’re in (it’s not like you couldn’t see it coming, with teetering mortgages built on nothing and monolithic banks crumbling all around).

So, lesson learned. Now we look ahead to recovery. What are you doing to prepare? The signs of an end to the recession are inconsistent, at best, with economists and banks — and politicians — all over the map on their predictions. But the day may come when the economy is robust and healthy, and you need to be ready for it. No longer will lavish spending be something you want to flaunt. Frugality is in; it’s here to stay. If you don’t want to be caught all bespoked and besotted with pecuniary privilege, you’ll need these essential tips for slimming down now, before it’s too late (with apologies to U.S. News):

1. Rethink your lifestyle. It’s okay to live at home for a little while. Call it shag chic à la 1970s basements.

2. Couponize. They’re better than food stamps.

3. Downsize permanently. Ditch the manse and live on the road. It worked for Jack Kerouac.

4. Get competitive about it. Isn’t there a reality show about scraping and scrounging? Oh, right. The Real Housewives of New York City…

The Recession Will End… Second Half of 2009*

Says who: A bunch of economists surveyed by Bloomberg

The U.S. economy will expand faster than previously forecast in the second half of this year and in 2010 as a revival in consumer spending signals an end to the recession. (via Bloomberg)

Why it might be crap: These guys are all over the place. In its own article on the report, Bloomberg admits that the same group had wildly different predictions in earlier surveys. Just one month ago, the same panel held a more bearish outlook, expecting the economy to shrink more than its 1.8 percent in April and May. The group also held that the Fed would keep the benchmark interest rate in a near-zero holding pattern until end of next year. Suddenly, they’re all bull? They say the Fed could raise the rate to 1 percent in the fourth quarter of this year—that’s a full year’s difference. Further, even though these economists anticipate the unemployment rate will indeed climb above 10 percent, they don’t seem to give it much weight in their formulations, so it’s hard to imagine we’re getting the best, fullest and consistent eye on the economy here…

Recession Lexicon: Mancession

/n. A downturn in which men are affected more than women. Several economists, including Mark Perry, a professor of economics and finance at the University of Michigan who coined the term, agree that men have been falling behind in several areas, from life expectancy to employment. In this recession, American Enterprise Institute scholar Christina Hoff Summers points out, 80 percent of the jobs lost were held by men, since they dominate manufacturing and construction.

Thanks to Derek Thompson at The Atlantic for uncovering the mancession trend.

Recessionary Travel Devices

Ah, summer. A time of travel, fun — and trying to cut down on staycations. If you’re getting away this summer, or even thinking about it, The Simple Dollar has these rules for keeping costs down. The list was written for businesses, but it seems useful for anyone heading out on the road:

Plan around public transportation. Before you leave, figure out how to get to your hotel using public transportation in the city, print out the route, and keep it with you. Do the reverse for the return trip as well.

Make lodging reservations directly with the branch you’re staying at. Use web sites to identify places to stay, but before reserving a room, call the hotel directly before using the online reservation system and don’t hesitate to ask for a reduced rate while on the phone. You’re likely to get a much better rate, particularly if it’s out of season, during the week, or you’re staying for a longer period.

Don’t spend a dime in the airport. Throw a few granola bars and an empty bottle into your carry-on bag…

Screwed: 2,600 in Illinois

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

Today’s partial total: 4,294

The state of Illinois will hand out 2,600 pink slips. … About 800 workers for the state of Pennsylvania will be laid off. … In Austria, air line Austrian Arrows will lay off 400 employees. … In British Columbia, 270 state workers in forestry and environment will lose their jobs. … Communications equipment maker Tellabs will let go 150 more employees, on top of the 280 let go last fall. … Motorola will let go 74 employees at an Illinois location. …