Archives of Monthly News Updates
for a Time of Transition
Jobs
September, 2008
- October, 2009
January , 2010
* Rise in Mothers as Sole Earners More fathers out of work than mothers, reversing longstanding trends. LA Times 1/16
December, 2009
* Contract Workers Swelling Ranks USA Today 12/7 Quarter of the workforce could eventually be temps. We need to consider this in a new self-empowering light, because indeed more and more people will need to be self-employed.
October, 2009
* The Number of Job Hunters 65 or Older Skyrockets New York Times 10/24c
* 200,000 More Set to Lose Jobless Benefits CNN Money 10/22
* Unemployment Rises to 9.8% as Employers Cut More Jobs than Expected Los Angels Times 10/2 The rate of unemployment plus underemployment -- representing workers whose hours were cut back -- is 17%.
* Unemployment Despair as Benefits Run Out BBC News 10/2 The rate of unemployment plus underemployment -- representing workers whose hours were cut back -- is 17%.
September, 2009
* Unhappy Labor Day Washington Post, 9/7 Read why the article concludes "The first nation in human history to create a middle-class majority looks increasingly to be losing it."
*
Two Out of Five
Californians Jobless, San
Jose Mercury News,
9/6
U.S. Labor Department reports the
nation's jobless rate climbed to 9.7 %, the highest since 1983.
August, 2009
* 558,000 jobs lost; up 4000 in the
past week
New Jobless Claims Show Surprise Increase AFP Google 8/13
* Unemployed workers with bad
credit due to job-loss who are seeking job interviews face barriers
similar to ex-cons
Hurdle for Jobless New York Times 8/6
* Monthly unemployment changes from
massive to big
Job Losses Slow in July New York Times 8/6 The headline of online version, but not the print edition, of this article's includes "In a Good Sign:" And indeed there is a significantly lower number of losses from last month. But when you consider that last summer it was understood that the US needed to generate 100,000 new jobs each month to provide for new people entering the job market, we're still in deep decline. It's just not as steep this month. We do not think this is a signal as the article suggests that the worst is over.
July, 2009
* Unemployment rolls swell again up by 467,000 in June
Jobless Unemployment 9/5%: Obama Says He's Deeply Concerned USA Today 7/2
* Unemployment up in 372 metro areas; some over 20%
Jobless Rates Rise in All US Metro Areas in May The Raw Story 7/1
June, 2009
* Jobless claims jump and people
continuing on unemployment aid rises unexpectedly; jobs remain scarce
Jobless
Rates Rise; GDP Dips MSNBC 6/25
* Once employed, now itinerant
workers find living quarters near the job in campers
or cheap apartments, giving up normal family life for
a paycheck
Unemployed Hit the Road to Find Jobs Wall
Street Journal 6/25
* Reach of foreclosures shows scope of crisis
Lost Jobs Forcing More Out of Homes USA Today
6/23
* People with jobs fare worse
Employed See Tough Times To USA Today 6/11
* Credit reports become latest
hurdle to the unemployed
Trapped: It's Hard to Get a Job if Your Credit Is Bad
Los Angels Times 6/7 This could be called the 21st
century equivalent to debtor's prison.
* Long-term joblessness is becoming
more common
Permanent Unemployment: When Layoff Become a Lifestyle
Washington Post 6/6
*Adding temp workers almost doubles
the unemployment rate
Temp
Work Covers Up Depth of Unemployment MSNBC 6/7
* Workers sacrifice in the shift to
"green" jobs
The New
"Good Job": 12 Buck an Hour CNN Money
6/4
* American economy sheds 345,000
jobs in May
Jobless Rate Hits 9.4%
New York Times 5/29 Families told to cut out the
fat in their budget, say they're down to the bone.
May, 2009
* 20% of employed have reduced
hours; 16% have had pay cuts
Still Working but Making Do with Less
New York Times 5/29 Families
told to cut out the fat in their budget, say they're down to the bone.
* American homeowners with once
solid credit falling behind
Job Loses Push Safer Mortgages to Foreclosure New York Times
5/24
*Job loss for April sobering ,
Obama says. 2.6 million lost in 2009
US Unemployment Rate Rises to 8.9% LA Times 5/9
Both Obama and Wall Street
experts are seeing April's loss as a sign of a turnaround and hailing it as
good news. It does not sound upbeat to us, especially considering that only
20% of graduating college seniors have been able to line up employment and
it is already mid May. Jobless young graduates will never be counted in the
unemployment statistics, but they will nonetheless be unemployed.
* Nonunion employees in Chicago
must take up to 16 unpaid days by December and lose elimination of sick and
vacation days
Nonpaid Days for Nonunion Employees Chicagoist 5/8
* Employers large and small
resort to slashing hours and unthinkable wage cuts
US Workers' Wages Stagnate as Firms Rush to Cut Costs, Washington
Post, 5/3
April, 2009
Unemployment could top out near
10%
The Future Holds More Job Losses, Survey Says USA Today 4/27
* Jobless claims top
640,000
New Jobless Claims Rise More then Expected Yahoo News from AP
4/23
* Expectations of young workers raised to believe
they could do anything are dashed as they lose 1st and 2nd jobs
Recession Is a Dose of Reality for Young Workers LA Times 4/11
* Who get job-loss benefits varies by state,
millions get none.
Many of the Jobless Get No Unemployment Benefits USA Today, 4/9
*Urban dwellers needing to commute more
Jobs Continue to Shift to Suburbs USA Today, 4/9
* Financially strapped companies cutting back
Employee Benefits Squeezed, USA Today, 4/7
* Telecommuting, 'flex time' and paid leave that
allow employees to balance the demands of work and family life are slipping
away
Work-life Benefits Fall Victim to Slow Economy LA Times 4/4
* 372 metropolitan areas saw their
jobless rates rise in February
Unemployment Rates Move Higher USA Today 4/1
March, 2009
Nearly one in 10 workers unemployed in four US
states.
Unemployment Is Now a National Emergency
USA Today 3/12
* Losing pay hurts but not as much a being unemployed
More Companies Turn to Furloughs USA Today , 3/5
* Dumping workers
without notice
Piecemeal Layoffs Avoid Warning Laws
New York Times
3/5
February, 2009
* 47% of American are worried about
losing their job
The Mood Out There? Dread -- and Resolve
LA Times, 2/26
* Flood of newly laid-off workers seeking benefits
Unemployment Rolls Hit Record Five Million Chicago Tribune 2/20
* Nowhere to run
Reach of the Recession Is Limiting Our Ability to Find Work by Moving
USA Today
2/16
*
Layoffs get the attention but lack of hiring poses a
bigger threat
The Jobs Problem You Don't Know About
CNN Money 2/6
*
Loss in January is 7.6% greater than expected
Economy Shed 598,000 Jobs in January New York Times, 2/6
*
Layoffs spreading thru economy, 220% higher than last
year
Pace of Job Cuts Surged in January
LA Times, 2/05
January, 2009
* 45,000 Jobs slashed Monday morning
before 9AM - 70,000 worldwide
Job Cuts Deepen across USA USA Today 1/27
* Only five metropolitan areas to
escape job loss this year
Job Losses Predicted for Most Cities
Los Angeles Times 1/19
* State unemployment funds running low
as unemployment surges
Ohio
Unemployment Funds Run Out AP 1/12
* 524,000 US jobs lost in December
Jobless Rate Hits 7.2%, a 16-Year High New York Times, 1/9
November, 2008
* More workers losing jobs fuel fears of deep recession
Jobless Claims Hit 16-Year High CNBC, 11/20
* Unemployment rate seem low? That's because it's not counting all the underemployed workers
The 20-Hour Workweek Slate, 11/14
* Employers
shed 240,000 more jobs in October
Jobless Rate at 14-Year High.
New York Times,
11/6
* 157,000
Private Sector Jobs Cut in October
Grim Jobs and Service Data Greet New President.
Reuters,
11/5
October, 2008
* America workers losing jobs by hordes by tens of thousands
Spending Stalls and Businesses Slash US Jobs New York Times 10/25
*
Disaster in Job Market Dead Ahead
Coming Pink Slip Epidemic Business Week 10/21
*
Increasing likelihood that overall layoffs will top one million
this year.
Job Out look Darkens
CNBC 10/5
* September job losses worst in five years.
U.S. Loses 159,000 jobs LA Times
10/4