Government Layoffs Looming

Here’s some discouraging news about the direction of the economy: An economist predicts that up to 400,000 government workers could lose their jobs over the next year, because state and local governments will be laying off people en masse to close budget gaps.

According to a story in USA Today, New York City is planning 4,500 layoffs

Job Market Best in Year and a Half, Gallup Says

We’ll see what sort of effect the Dow bustage has on this bit of positive news, but according to polling company Gallup, the job market is back to where is was at the end of 2008.

Wait, 2008? Wasn’t that a few months after Lehman went bankrupt, Fannie Mae had to get rescued and Congress approved the $700 billion bailout? Well, yes…

Downturnaround Deals: Thompson Cigar, Limited, Esprit, Rock/Creek, Reebok, Glyde

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Downturnaround Deals: The Knot, BikeBandit, Ann Taylor, Gap, Abe’s of Maine

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Getting hitched? Save 15% off orders at The Knot. (See more The Knot coupon codes.)…

Screwed: 1,019 in Long Beach Unified School District

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

Today’s Total: 1,338

The Long Beach Unified School District this week starting giving layoff warning notices to 1,019 employees, mostly teachers…The Pasadena Unified School District is cutting more than 164 jobs to help close a huge budget gap…

Gen Next Will Rock the New Normal?

Millennials were born with the internet. They’ve probably never used card catalogs, Walkmans or typewriters. And unlike older workers, they don’t believe in job security.

In a nice counterpoint to a recent Atlantic Monthly story that argued GenY will be permanently handicapped by the recession, Nancy Cook, writing for Newsweek, wonders whether younger people are actually very nicely suited to the New Normal of jobs…

Downturnaround Deals: Michael Stars, Container Store, Orbitz, Moosejaw, Epson, GameStop

We make it easier to keep your spending in check, with weekly deals hand-picked for Recessionwire readers by the nice people over at Savings.com.

Take 15% off the women’s tees and accessories at Michael Stars. (See more Michael Stars coupon codes.)…

So Cynicism is Dead

Aloofness is out, warmth is in. Flaming is out, gushing is in.

A story in this week’s New York Observer proclaims that we’re faceing the New Nice, even — perhaps especially — in nasty old New York. Entered into evidence: Tina Fey on the cover of Vogue, the Academy Awards including more best picture nominees, Lady Gaga expressing gratitude to her fans.

That’s this attitude shift due to? In part, the recession…

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Get $10 off $50 or more at HauteLook. (See more HauteLook coupons.)…

Redecorate Without Spending a Dime

It’s winter. Maybe you’re unemployed. Man, those walls are feeling close together, aren’t they? It is possible to bring some freshness to your surroundings without buying anything new. Try our tips, and troll the web for more–we especially like Apartment Therapy and the blog at Design Public. (Though we’re a little biased on that second one.)

De-clutter

There are people who can make clutter look beautiful. You are probably not one of them. Put away all those tchotchkes–or even better, sell them or give them away. (Check out the tips for getting rid of castoff clothes for help.)

Move stuff around

It is sort of amazing what a difference you can make by rearranging seating or shoving a table over. About.com has ten tips for arranging furniture. Our advice: try out configurations that aren’t obvious…