the recession diaries

In two months 65% of all filers for unemployment insurance will have run out of their standard 26 weeks. That means a total of 4.4 million people will have exhausted their basic benefits. Although some may be able to receive an additional year of unemployed benefits, traditionally the Labor Department doesn’t track anyone that has…

In 2007 Suze Orman warned us that a financial meltdown was on the horizon. Not many took heed to her warning, and as a result those who spent far too long living beyond their means found themselves hit the hardest when the economy went sour. Indeed, many Americans who played a little too much with…

With respect to the health economists over at Yale University who conducted this study, finding out being jobless could make people with already bad habits exacerbate their problems is like being told smoking is domestic violence against your body. It’s pretty much a given at this point, no? Nevertheless, according to their report while lay-offs…

Recently, I wrote an entry advising those who constantly complain about their job to be grateful to be gainfully employed. While I still agree with that sentiment overall, one letter sent in by a reader reminded me that the frustration many workers deal with on a daily basis can sometimes be too overbearing. Her words…

Have you considered relocating in lieu of the job crunch? If so, you might want to pack your life up and haul yourself over to the Washington D.C. “urea.” According to a report by Indeed.com, the nation’s capital had 133 postings per 1,000 residents in the second quarter of 2009. Indeed.com is a broad job…

Laura D’Andrea Tyson, Obama’s economic adviser recently said, “It looks like the economy is weaker than expected. Why not begin to think about over the next several months whether we need a stimulus package and what it should include.” Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman supports the idea of a second stimulus package, and legendary businessman…

Anyone else find themselves on the receiving end of angry vent sessions fueled by work-related frustration? From rants about annoying bosses to jokes that they’re going to need bail money once they explode in the office, I hear more people shouting, “I hate my job!” with each passing day. Indeed, according to a survey from…

Soup lines, like those at the Church of Holy Apostles in New York City, have seen a surge in queues as those suffering from economic hardship come to the realization that being picky at the grocery store just isn’t enough to afford a daily meal anymore. Depending on what soup or bread line you find…

California and in particular, Los Angeles, is famous for harboring residents who will try to stunt on you in a brand new Audi but can barely afford to cover the cost of an entrée off the value menu at Carl’s Jr. Unfortunately, the botched budgeting that is spending more than what you bring in has…