Posts Tagged ‘Economy’

Layoff Effect Dampening Already Depressed Summer Travel Planning

Today’s Bureau of Labor Statistic job report isn’t as positive as many anticipated, with nearly 470,000 jobs lost in June, up from a slowing in May of 322,000, bringing the unemployment rate to 9.5%.  With today’s news, the total number of job losses in 2009 is up to 3.4 million, out numbering the 3.1 million that were lost in the entirety of 2008.  Clearly these losses are affecting us all – both employed and unemployed, and most of us are making at least some changes in our everyday lives to help counteract the possibility, or reality, of losing all or part of our incomes.

With summer upon us, so is the summer vacation. As one of the largest household expenses this time of year, this is one area in which many people are cutting back according to a survey commissioned by the career website Glassdoor.com and conducted by Harris Interactive®.

More than half of U.S. adults (52%) say they are modifying their summer travel plans in certain ways compared to last year. While nearly three-quarters (74%) say they traveled last summer only 60% say they plan to travel this summer. Of those who do plan to travel, nearly half (49%) are planning ...

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Navigating a Layoff: Tips for Negotiating Your Separation Agreement and Getting the Most from Severance (Employers Listen too!)

January layoff numbers are the worst we’ve seen in decades, which means many affected likely have not been through anything  like this before. If you are faced with imminent unemployment, it can be scary and confusing, but there are a few things you can do now as you have conversations with your employer that may make the transition to re-employment easier for you.  In today’s economy, it’s important to understand that you are likely to be out of work longer than you might think so whatever you can to do to try to secure some continuity and extend benefits to make the transition easier will be beneficial.  Now is also the time to think about “Re” everything; Refinance, renegotiate your lease, redo your spending budget, reduce your debt, recailibrate your expectations to make it through until your next job starts.

The pervasive job-losses, deepening recession and credit crunch we are all facing today make it harder and harder for people who are living, or expecting to live, on the severance packages being offered today. Companies tend to want to provide lump sum severance payments so they can take the full accounting charge in the current quarter and move on.  However, many ...

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