Even if this turns out to be an "average" length recession/depression, with four more months remaining, unemployment continues to rise around 3-6 months after the turnaround.

It's going to get ugly.

I love how this article is looking optimistic and we'll be out of this mess soon...somehow I have my doubts. So what happens are these companies (the ones that haven't closed) magically going to start hiring in a few months? This is a cycle we're going to be stuck in for a long time...be prepared.

As soon as I get my degree at the end of the year I'm moving to Australia for a public relations gig. I'll miss America but I don't plan on sticking around for this mess. After seeing that Citi spent millions of dollars on a private jet I am simply done standing by and watching this crap every day.

Goodnight and good luck.

So THIS is the "change" Obama was talking about. We are going to need spare change soon.

@mikesfree: Yeah, he's already had 6 days to fix things.

I like how at the bottom of the list of layoffs, mostly numbering in the thousands, they mention World Wrestling Entertainment is laying off 60 people.

Also, some of those numbers seem skewed, they say right in the article that John Deere's 700 layoffs are split between plants in Iowa and Brazil. No offense to Brazilians, but I assumed the number of job cuts was only in the US. Being these are all global companies, I wonder how many of these cut jobs are actually in the US?

@squablow: Here in Peoria, we're all sort-of hoping a lot of Cat's 20,000 cuts will be overseas. However, Cat and a lot of these other multinationals send a lot of US employees overseas. Some of those cuts in Brazil may well involve American employees. (Not on the factory line, but in other positions.)

@mikesfree: You beat me to it. ;)

@squablow: Well WWE has been releasing a lot of wrestlers lately. I mean, they let go Victoria (who was the best woman wrestler on the roster) and they even cut free a lot of the older wrestlers working in CT.

Now what's Sgt Slaughter going to do for income?

@mikesfree: I know the media's treating him like he's Jesus and all, but change doesn't happen that quickly for anything, let alone turning around an entire economy.

Sgt Slaughter = Military Drill Sergent. Put his ass in charge of the war in Iraq, he'll make those insurgents pay. Maggots!!!

@femme_dork:

People are worshipping him just like Germany did Hitler when he came in to Power. Although I don't think Obama will become Hitler, The Elite are saving that for Arnold in 2012. Get ready for the Fema Camps Everybody!!!

that list isn't accurate.

FedEx Office (Kinko's) let go about 650 people around November/December.

[www.app.com]

So shenanigans!

@Dean Hooks Jr.: Unless Mike Godwin is handing out gold stars, son, that's no way to rise up the Consumerist ranks...

@Eyebrows McGee: You mentioned Cat's 2,000 cuts and my first thought was, "While I admire Eyebrows kindness to Teh Kittehs profusely, Jeezus do I feel sorry for her couch!"
Cough. Sorry. I'm better now.

geez, you know it's bad when bcbs michigan's losing "only" 1,000 jobs doesn't seem so bad in comparison to, say, circuit city's mass bloodletting. scary.

@Trai_Dep: LOL, sorry, you get so brainwashed around here you forget that not everyone knows what "Cat" is off the tops of their heads!

I doubt this list even scratches the surface. I work for a major financial services company, and we had 500 layoffs last week in our headquarters alone. It made headlines, but not this list.