Screwed: 750 at Bank of Scotland Ireland

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

Today’s Total: 2,262

The Bank of Scotland Ireland, owned by Lloyds Banking Group, is terminating 750 positions, effective completely by this coming July… SAS Scandinavian Airlines is planning to cut 650 full time jobs as part of a cost reduction plan… The Somerdale Cadbury plant at Keynsham is terminating 400 jobs between March and July, even though Kraft had assured workers that they would keep their jobs… Nokia is laying off up 285 workers from its Salo plant…

Recessionwire Turns One Year Old

What a year it has been. We have seen the he-men fall; retailers give us better discounts; the ups and downs of economic forecasts; and changes in gender balance on the home front. The world certainly feels different from a year ago, when “recession” was still cocktail-party chatter, not a serious matter of devastating losses of jobs, homes and savings. Back then, it seemed it would be a brief period of hunkering down; now, we know better.

But we see the positive, too: We’ve seen families get closer, our national savings rate improve, businesses get smarter, values re-emerge. We’ve seen individuals empowered by what they didn’t know they could do…

Recession Briefing: Crazy for Coupons

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

Coupon use has risen every quarter since the end of 2008, making 2009 the first year of rising coupon use since 1992. Last year, 3.5 billion coupons were redeemed, according to Inmar, a coupon processor that handles about half of the market and publishes figures extrapolated from its own volume. (New York Times)

When you’ve flooded the economy with trillions of dollars, mopping up is no easy task. That’s the reality the Federal Reserve is confronting as it starts to explain how it will undo the aggressive growth-supporting steps that were put in place when the economy was in its deep dive — and begins to be clearer about when that may happen. (Washington Post)

When 22 recently unemployed workers agreed to be filmed baring their souls about what it was like to lose his job, they didn’t expect millions to see their confessions in the George Clooney film Up in the Air. A year later, many of these recession victims have new jobs. (Reuters)…

Screwed: 300 at UPS

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

Today’s Total: 701

After announcing a layoff of 1,800 administrative positions, UPS may furlough as many as 300 pilots starting in May…in St. Louis, Trans States Airlines will lay off 150 service representatives and baggage handlers by April…In Tennessee, Mapa Spontex plans to eliminate 132 jobs from March 19 until sometime in June…Non-profit Adelphoi Village is closing a facility in Pennsylvania and laying off 70 workers by April…In New York, the Katonah-Lewisboro School District may lay off about 25-30 public school teachers this week, and 55 teachers in total, due to budgetary concerns about future mandatory raises resulting from teacher’s union contracts…

Recession Briefing: Some Construction Unemployment at 30 Percent

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

No industry has taken it more on the chin than construction. Nationally, unemployment fell to 9.7% in January, but in construction it jumped to 24.7% from 18.7% in October. In many regions, union officials report 30% of their members are unemployed or “riding the bench.” (Time)

For the first time in recorded history, women outnumber men on the nation’s payrolls. This benchmark is bittersweet, as it comes largely at men’s expense — because men have been losing their jobs faster than women. (New York Times)

More prosperous American shoppers seem to be defying continuing high unemployment levels and economic uncertainty to renew their spending on luxuries such as jewelery, fashion and cosmetics. (Financial Times)…

Screwed: 1,607 in Chicago

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

Today’s Total: 2,311

Chicago Transit Authority laid off 1,607 unionized workers intheir decision to cut nine express bus lines and provide less frequent bus service…GNAC plans to eliminate 554 employees and three offices due to loan losses…In Michigan, Consumers Energy will lay off 80 unionized workers by the end of this month…

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.

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…