Screwed: 1,700 at Corus

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

Today’s Total: 2,754

Some good news: Aurora union has agreed to concessions and avoided layoffs.

Steel manufacturer Corus is cutting 1,700 jobs in 2010… In an effort to restructure, solar power company Energy Conversion Devices is slashing its workforce by 400 jobs… Thomson Reuters Corp. will eliminate 240 jobs in its legal businesses… As part of its restructuring process after the purchase of Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, Pfizer is laying off 200 workers from the Pearl River facility formerly owned by Wyeth, effective Mar. 12… Abbott Laboratories has let go of 80 temporary employees from its medical devices factory in Temecula, CA…

The Last Supper

A celebration to end all celebrations…literally.

I had heard the rumors that there were more layoffs to come at Forbes, but given that my salary as a reporter was at the bottom of the newsroom totem pole, I felt certain I would not be a casualty.

Further proof of the fact that I was irreplaceable sat on my desktop: an invitation from Steve Forbes himself to a party for the African economist-turned-author Dambisa Moyo, whom I was interviewing about her new book Dead Aid. It didn’t make sense to invite me to a party and then lay me off. Or so I thought…

Happy Holidays! Here’s Your Pinkslip

“I’m sorry to have to do this but, as we’ve lost a third of our client base and assets have plummeted, we must reduce costs and have decided to let you go. We no longer need three of you in investor relations. I know you have been here the longest, but I think Girl #2 and Guy #3 have more room to grow in the company (read: there is no upward mobility and we expect that you will leave us before they do). We appreciate your contributions and want you to know that you can come to us for recommendations for future employers.