Consumerist
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airlines
US Airways Shrinks
US Airways has announced it plans to lay off a thousand employees, about 3% of its workforce, and will cut flights and focus mostly on four hubs: Charlotte, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and Washington, DC. More » -
budgets
Couple Attempts To Stretch Half A Year's Pay Into A Full Year
CNN profiles a young family living in a Chicago suburb who have decided to carry out an experiment in frugal living—they want to see if they can reduce their expenses enough to get by on about half of what they made before the wife and sole breadwinner was laid off earlier this summer. More » -
hotels
Hyatts In Boston Decide To Outsource Housekeeping
Housekeepers at three Hyatt hotels in Boston made over $15 an hour and had benefits like 401(k) retirement plans and health insurance. On August 31st, Hyatt laid them off en masse—after first having them train their replacements under the guise of creating a holiday fill-in staff—and turned the housekeeping duties over to an outside firm. More » -
recession watch
Unemployment Claims And Consumer Confidence Down, Whirlpool To Lay Off 1,100
The number of new unemployment claims filed nationwide was down to only 570,000 last week, but consumer confidence is at a four-month low. Maybe that's because newsworthy layoffs continue, including Whirlpool announcing that they will cut 1,100 full-time positions in the U.S., located in Evansville, Indiana. More » -
print is dead
Some 71 Percent Of Newspaper Advertisers Stick Around
Enough with all the negative news about the newspaper industry. Let's get positive, folks. For instance, instead of parroting this Bloomberg report that newspaper revenue plunged by 29 percent last quarter, let's emphasize that 71 percent of advertisers stuck around. More » -
newspapers
Was Consumer Columnist's Demise Due To Editorial Cutbacks Or Advertising Interference?
The story of consumer columnist George Gombossy's departure from the Hartford Courant has become a "he said"/"company said" argument that seems like something out of a consumer affairs column. Was Gombossy let go for reporting on an advertiser, as he alleges, or was the elimination of his position simply part of the cutbacks taking place all over the Tribune Company? More » -
simpsons did it
Laid-Off Workers Keep Up Appearances, Pretend To Be Employed
Earlier this week, the Washington Post shared the story of a man who tried hard to keep up appearances, and to carefully choreograph his routine so his friends and neighbors wouldn't think of him differently. Finally, he tired of the charade, and outed himself. As an unemployed person. More » -
advice
Don't Wait For Financial Crisis To Adjust Your Lifestyle
If you're worried some financial cataclysm will knock you into a miserable life situation, why not jump the gun and start slumming it to anticipate the meltdown? MSN Money writer Donna Freedman advises such a maneuver, along with other pre-emptive strikes against destitution. More » -
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Hershey is closing its online store (www.hersheygifts.com) at the end of the month, saying they can't keep it running in this economy. If you like their "chocolate" products, everything on the site is on sale for 25% off. [LA Times] (Thanks to Robert!)
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cobra
ADP: Unemployed Need To Apply For Program In Which They Were Already Enrolled
One of the programs of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act is COBRA Continuation Coverage Assistance. It helps people who have lost their jobs pay the sometimes hefty premiums for continued health insurance coverage, paying 65% of their premium. The program started in February, and Renee was enrolled right away. This month she was billed for her full premium again with no warning. More » -
newspaper
New York Times Was Just Joking About That Whole 'Closing The Boston Globe' Thing
Those pesky unions, always asking for reasonable pay for their employees, decent working conditions, continued employment and the like. Well, the New York Times Company found a way to deal with the scalawags at the Boston Globe: threaten to fire 'em all and shut down their place of business. More » -
layoffs
Laid Off? You May Be Asked To Pay Off That Corporate Credit Card Anyway
Rob lost his job, but kept the company credit card. Well, not so much the card, but the unpaid balance that went with it. As Rob's employer stopped cutting him paychecks, it also stopped making payments on the account as well, and the creditor started hounding Rob, who wrote in to syndicated columnist Todd Ossenfort. More » -
If you were recently laid off, you can get a free FranklinCovey day planner this Saturday, March 21st, by showing up at a participating store and giving the name of your former employer and the date you were let go. [FranklinPlanner.com] (Thanks to Anne!)
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layoffs
Starbucks Lays Off 870 Assistant Store Managers
Starbucks announced today that they will be laying off 870 assistant store managers and not filling 530 vacant positions. In addition, 500 non-store positions will also be eliminated. Read the memo inside. More » -
aetna
Aetna Fires You From Your Job Without Your Company's Permission
Richard O'Connor, the Vice President of Marketing for Aetna, might want to rethink how his department handles its customer retention program in this economy, particularly when it comes to telling people that they're still valued even though they've been let go. Chris received just such a letter today, and now the VP of his company's HR department is trying to figure out why Aetna fired Chris. More » -
personal finance
Prepare For A Budget Meltdown By Conducting A Financial Fire Drill
You're fired! Now what? It's the nightmare scenario, and you can prepare for it by conducting a financial drill. Take a moment and pretend you have no income. Ask how you would pay pay for rent and food, and what lifestyle changes you could make on two week's notice. To guide your planning, the New York Times has a few unorthodox and downright scary suggestions that are worth considering in a worst case scenario. More » -
macys
Macy's Closing 11 Stores
Looks like it's time for Macy's annual closing of the stores! This time it's 11 underperforming locations that will be shuttered, and Macy's says clearance sales will begin at those stores next week. Here's a list of the stores that will be saying goodbye. More » -
money meltdown
Bank of America To Lay Off Over 30,000
Bank of America has announced that it will lay off 30,000-35,000 people as a result of its merger with Merrill Lynch and the economic downturn. [MarketWatch] (Thanks, Dariush!)
layoffs
New York, 9:29 AM
Thu Nov 12
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