Feb
11
Snowmageddon could cost up to 150,000 jobs in February
February 11, 2010 | Leave a Comment
This month's blizzards may be great for those who plow snow, but they are costing us a lot in jobs. Some economists estimate that between 90,000 and 150,000 jobs could be lost in February, just because the snow kept people home from work and stalled hiring during the month.
Previously analysts had been expecting good news [...]
Dec
11
Shoplifting on the rise
December 11, 2009 | Leave a Comment
When times get tough, people start shoplifting more. And retailers are hiring fewer workers, so it's harder to catch them. Most big sellers hire more workers to manage the crowds of gift shoppers during the weeks leading up to Christmas, but last year, retailers cut holiday hiring by 62%.
So store theft increased for the first [...]
Oct
9
More air travel nightmares on the way
October 9, 2009 | Leave a Comment
As the economy improves, air travel will as well. That means more delayed flights. More headaches.
Air travel has been declining since way back in 2008, but it is expected to pick up next year, resulting in all the familiar problems, according to a study released Thursday. The study from the Brookings Institution said the downturn [...]
Aug
14
Bigger Paychecks Are Coming Back
August 14, 2009 | Leave a Comment
There have been a lot of pay cuts and employee cutbacks, but according to a new survey, more employers are planning to reverse these pay cuts and cutbacks. It's a good sign that employment is improving. Consulting firm Watson Wyatt says that the percentage of employers who will reverse pay cuts jumped to 44% in [...]
Aug
6
Postal Service blames mail decline for loss, I blame them
August 6, 2009 | 3 Comments
This is nothing new but the USPS is having some problems. They reported a $2.4 billion loss in their most recent quarter Wednesday, blaming plunging mail volume and rising retiree health care costs. They lost $1.1 billion a year earlier.
The long and short of it is that they blame a decline in mail use. The [...]
Jun
5
Bad Economy, Less Messy Divorce
June 5, 2009 | Leave a Comment
The economy is bad, but every cloud has a silver lining. I came across an interesting article recently here. It talks about how hard economic times may make for a less messy divorce. After all, both parties can see the wisdom in not wanting to waste money on fighting in court etc.
There are retirement issues [...]
May
15
Bad Economy, Great Opportunity
May 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment
We hear it everyday on the news. The economy is bad. Yeah, we got the memo. But a bad economy doesn't have to mean that things are bad for YOU. One of the most basic principles in making money is finding a need and filling that need. You know, the old supply and demand.
For instance, [...]
Mar
31
The Economy: Why Is No One Talking About Waste?
March 31, 2009 | 1 Comment
You might remember that old commercial selling cheap wine. I forget the name of the wine, but a man and a woman are dining. She asks, "Is this (Insert name of cheap wine)?" The man replies, "Of course. How do you think I got so rich?"
The point is you gain wealth by not just making [...]
Jul
2
I was browsing around the IRS site looking for some information on the stimulus package and I happened across this picture. It just screamed out for some creative editing.
Alan Greenspan is the former Chairman of the Federal Reserve which according to some is the most powerful position in the world.
Some argue that his easy credit [...]
Jul
1
The Economy, Happiness and the Media
July 1, 2008 | 1 Comment
Every day we are bombarded by news stories about how unhappy Americans are. We're told that even though we are wealthier now then ever, we're more unhappy than ever. Don't fall for this old media trick.
Newspapers and magazines sell bad news. That's their business. They need to scare people into buying their product. The old [...]