The "Recession" of George Bush II

N.B.    This has been very tedious work.  I will be abandoning further effort on this page as of  December 25th as a Xmas gift to myself.  Feel free to continue it.  Inform me and I'll link to your page.

This is NOT a Bad News site, it is a reality check site.  For really bad economic news, keep your eyes and ears open.

The sole source for this page has been Yahoo! Alerts, set to "cutbacks" and layoffs."  To be totally candid, I began tracking these alerts three years ago, and it was terribly worse then than it is now.  But slowing the bloodletting is not the same as getting better; we are still going downhill, a little more slowly.  But we are also, today, closer to the edge; and more likely to keep heading that way.

The reason I decided to track this phenomenon was as a personal reality check of what I was thinking then: that we were not suffering from a cyclical economic glitch AKA a Recession, but that we were witness to the birth of a new Great Depression, whose reality is apparently invisible to most, daily evidence notwithstanding.  And that this particular depression is not a cyclical phenomenon, but rather the inevitable consequence of the economic realities of the time we live in (Technology and Globalization and Corporate Deregulation).

Not all the news posted here is bad news; if the search for Cutbacks and Layoffs produced good news, I posted it.  The large majority of links were to sports stories, mostly football and horse-racing (sic!).  If the links to an old story are broken, I apologize.  Complain to the source of the story (not to Yahoo!).  I have deleted duplicate stories wherever I have caught them.  Unless I didn't.  I have also posted international news.  As those who study history know, the American Depression of the 1930's was a world-wide phenomenon.  So is this one.

This page is dedicated to those who believe the "Recession" is over, that we are indeed being led into the Promised land by crazy George of the burning Bush.  If you think or believe that this news is biased (it is) and gives a false overall impression, make your own study, post it on your web-site, let me know of it, and I'll post a link to your findings.

"Believing in" the rascal who told you "we're out of the woods, the economy is growing" will not save your job, your pension or your home.  Sorry.

 

HERE WE GO!  Hang onto your hats!

December 2004 (66 stories thru 12/09)

 

Fly4Less will fly no more
BizJournals Thu, 09 Dec 2004 2:27 PM PST
Resort Reservations Network Inc., also known as Fly4Less, will cease operations Dec. 31 and layoff 75 of its 80 employees

Time Warner: AOL layoffs to lead to $60M Q4 charge
AFP via Yahoo! UK & Ireland Finance Fri, 10 Dec 2004 6:52 AM PST
SAN FRANCISCO (AFX) -- Time Warner said in a filing with securities regulators Friday morning that planned layoffs at AOL will result in a fourth-quarter charge of about $60 million, ...

Personal property credited for $220,000 hike in Meadville R-4 School District's assessed valuation
Chillicothe Constitution-Tribune Fri, 10 Dec 2004 11:01 AM PST
Even though Meadville R-4 School District's assessed valuation rose to a five-year high during the 2003-04 school year, less money was spent on its students during a year marked with apprehension about state aid withholdings

Metro Manila facing water shortage in May
The Manila Times Fri, 10 Dec 2004 6:13 AM PST
METRO Manila residents are facing another water shortage by May 2005 but not because Angat Dam has not enough water.

IFJ condemns BBC's layoff proposal:
New Kerala Wed, 08 Dec 2004 4:18 PM PST
[India News]: New Delhi, Dec 8 : The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) Wednesday condemned British broadcaster BBC's plan to layoff almost 3,000 staffers, fearing it would trigger a series of jobs cuts around the world.

Marshall Space Flight Center Cuts Jobs
WAAY 31 Wed, 08 Dec 2004 10:50 PM PST
NASA is cutting 250 jobs at Marshall Space Flight Center. Marshall officials say it's not a layoff, but rather an optional buy out situation. 5 of the 10 space centers in the United States are taking part in the buy out program...This is not about reducing the work force, it's about rebalancing.

Tax vote leaves hard choices for Lowell schools
Lowell Sun Thu, 09 Dec 2004 9:22 AM PST
LOWELL Faced with having to cut more than $1.5 million from their budget to pay for teacher raises the City Council refused to fund, school officials yesterday said their options for finding the money are limited.

Local School District Hands Out Layoff Notices School Officials Work To Overcome $2.3 Million Deficit
ClickOnDetroit Tue, 07 Dec 2004 5:19 PM PST
A local school district handed out layoff notices to some of its employees on Tuesday, Local 4 reported. More than 50 teachers, assistants and other employees of the Madison Heights School District were affected by the cuts.

GM Says To Layoff 250-300 Workers At Oklahoma City Plant
IWon - Money Wed, 08 Dec 2004 7:20 AM PST
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP)--General Motors (GM) said it will lay off between 250 and 300 workers at its Oklahoma City assembly plant. The plant makes the GMC Envoy XUV, the GMC Envoy, the Chevrolet TrailBlazer and the Isuzu Ascender and has more than 2,600 employees.

Execs at layoff-minded Colgate get allowance for pet sitters
The Tucson Citizen Wed, 08 Dec 2004 5:49 AM PST
NEW YORK - Colgate-Palmolive Co., which announced yesterday it is eliminating 4,400 jobs, disclosed in a regulatory filing that many of its top executives and officers get allowances of up to $11,500 a year to spend on anything from pet sitters to running shoes to karate lessons.

What, you thought the money just disappeared?

GM To Slow Production, Lay Off Employees At OKC Plant
KOTV Tulsa Wed, 08 Dec 2004 4:24 AM PST
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ General Motors Corp. will slow production and layoff hundreds of workers at its Oklahoma City assembly plant to adjust to market conditions, officials said.

AOL Lays Off 750 Employees
NewsFactor via Yahoo! News Wed, 08 Dec 2004 11:02 AM PST
Approximately 750 America Online employees, primarily at the company's Dulles, Virginia, headquarters, have been laid off.

Madison district finalizes layoffs
Royal Oak Daily Tribune Tue, 07 Dec 2004 12:09 PM PST
MADISON HEIGHTS — More than 50 teachers, assistants and other employees of the Madison Schools will receive layoff notices today, after district officials confirmed the mid-year reductions Monday.

WBIR-TV, Knoxville, TN
WBIR-TV Wed, 08 Dec 2004 4:15 AM PST
A cabinet-making company in Morristown is cutting part of its workforce. Armstrong Holdings is laying off 95 workers because of a cutback in operations. Qualified Morristown workers may transfer to the company's plant in Aubusrn Nebraska.

Firms' capital expenditures fall short of expectations
USATODAY.com via Yahoo! News Wed, 08 Dec 2004 3:42 AM PST
Top executives have gotten stingier with the purse strings, renewing concerns about a key piece of Corporate America's financial health. Companies spent 3.9% more on capital expenditures in the third quarter than the same period in 2003, the second straight quarter of decelerating growth

Ferry Operator Plans Additional Cuts in Service
New York Times Tue, 07 Dec 2004 9:10 PM PST
New York Waterway, the financially troubled ferry operator, will stop providing weekend service between Lower Manhattan and Hoboken, N.J., before the end of the year.

Off the Clock
Brush News Tribune Wed, 08 Dec 2004 9:29 AM PST
If Christmas and not just Christmas shopping was in the collective hands of corporate America, one clever entrepreneur suggests the 12 Days of Christmas might look very different. Here is a peek at the memo CEO Santa Clause sent out last week.

Missouri to help 900 Ford workers facing layoff next year
BizJournals Tue, 07 Dec 2004 6:38 AM PST
Missouri's Rapid Response Team will help about 900 workers at Ford Motor Co.'s St. Louis Assembly plant who will be laid off when the company eliminates the second shift at the plant early next year.

Mass layoffs hit four-year low
Mississippi Business Journal Tue, 07 Dec 2004 8:56 AM PST
WASHINGTON — In October 2004, employers took 1,241 mass layoff actions, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Colgate-Palmolive to layoff 12% of workforce
Sharewatch Tue, 07 Dec 2004 5:02 AM PST
NEW YORK (AFX) -- Colgate-Palmolive said it would reduce its global workforce by 12 percent as part of a 4-year restructuring program that will result in total charges of $550 million to $650 million, including $45 million in the fourth quarter of 2004 and $200 million in 2005.

Planned U.S. layoffs climb
The Globe and Mail Tue, 07 Dec 2004 7:16 AM PST
Job cut announcements by U.S. employers totalled more than 100,000 for a third straight month in November, according to a private survey released Tuesday.

ECONOMIC FORUM / Steel shortage threatens recovery
Daily Yomiuri Online Tue, 07 Dec 2004 11:36 AM PST
A worldwide steel shortage caused by such factors as China's brisk demand for the metal has started to affect Japanese businesses, with automaker Nissan Motor Co. and other firms forced to reduce production.

Big Three redefined
The Globe and Mail Tue, 07 Dec 2004 7:16 AM PST
Ford Motor Co. of Canada Ltd. will drop out of third spot in vehicle production in Canada this year and be supplanted by Honda of Canada Mfg., in another illustration that the changes rippling through the North American industry are ending a century of Big Three domination.

Cabarrus' jobless news only good at first glance
Charlotte Observer via Yahoo! News Mon, 06 Dec 2004 0:52 AM PST
Cabarrus County, epicenter of the state's largest mass layoff after Pillowtex Corp. closed last year, has just hit its lowest unemployment rate in three years.

Interstate Bakeries to Close S.C. Plant
Associated Press via Yahoo! Finance Mon, 06 Dec 2004 11:19 AM PST
Interstate Bakeries Corp., the bankrupt maker of Hostess Twinkies and Wonder Bread, on Monday said it will close a plant in Florence, S.C. and layoff 200 employees in an effort to further cut costs.

So, you thought Twinkies and Wonder Bread were immortal, eh?

Layoff grievances will go to arbitration in Litchfield
Torrington Register Citizen Mon, 06 Dec 2004 0:13 AM PST
LITCHFIELD -- Litchfield’s former land-use secretary Chuck Bezio’s grievance claiming he should not have lost his employment with the town, and fire marshal secretary Nancy Lacko’s grievance, claiming that she should receive a pay raise after taking on the responsibilities of the land-use secretary, are both moving to arbitration.

Federal Law Requires Notification
MoreBusiness Mon, 06 Dec 2004 1:02 AM PST
If your business finds that it must layoff a large number of employees, make sure you are in compliance with a federal law that requires some employers to provide advance notification. This little-known law is called the Federal Worker Adjustment Retraining and Notification Act (WARN).

Irish Ferries Lays Off 1,000 Workers
Associated Press via Yahoo! Finance Mon, 06 Dec 2004 5:41 AM PST
Ireland's major ferry company, Irish Ferries, closed its routes to Britain and began laying off about 1,000 workers Monday after the country's major union launched an indefinite strike.

Former zoo director recalls tough times
The Buffalo News Mon, 06 Dec 2004 5:54 AM PST
Word that the Buffalo Zoo may be forced to give away animals if its county subsidy is eliminated brought some not-so-fond memories back to Minot H. Ortolani.

Electronics has good last quarter - EEF
Electronics Weekly Mon, 06 Dec 2004 4:58 AM PST
Business performance in the electronics manufacturing sector continued to be strong in the last three months of the year, according to the latest quarterly figures from engineering body the EEF.

ic Teesside - Call to leave rates on hold
Evening Gazette Mon, 06 Dec 2004 5:17 AM PST
A slide in confidence in the manufacturing sector has today led to calls for the Bank of England to leave interest rates on hold well into the New Year.

DNR Layoffs Include Park Chiefs
Red Nova Sat, 04 Dec 2004 4:40 PM PST
About a dozen top managers at state parks, recreation and wildlife areas are among those to be issued layoff notices by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

School officials hope to solve fiscal problems
The Fresno Bee Sun, 05 Dec 2004 6:01 AM PST
Though a state auditor's report depicts Fresno Unified as a school district in financial distress, district leaders view the document as a road map that will help them avoid a dreaded state takeover.

On This Day Looking Back
Lancaster Eagle-Gazette Sun, 05 Dec 2004 5:16 AM PST
A group of Greenfield Township property owners filed a complaint in Fairfield County Common Pleas Court to prohibit water lines and sewage improvements in the township water and sewer district citing alleged unfair assessments.

San Rafael fire cutback would slow response City looks at curbing costs by ending Marinwood pact
Marin Independent Journal Sun, 05 Dec 2004 4:19 AM PST
Emergency response to an area of northeast San Rafael could increase by up to two minutes if the San Rafael City Council cancels a long-standing agreement with the Marinwood Fire Department tomorrow.

Companies scale back on holiday office parties
The Indianapolis Star Sun, 05 Dec 2004 0:12 AM PST
The party was elegant -- the kind of event employees talked about for days. It was a sophisticated evening affair with live piano, mingling and indulging at an open bar and dining on lavish dishes.

Tumbling dollar is bringing a global moment of truth
Scotsman Sat, 04 Dec 2004 4:29 PM PST
No quick fixes for a currency crisis that threatens to wreak havoc on both sides of the Atlantic.

By Michael McQuillan NewsLeader Staff
Burnaby NewsLeader Sat, 04 Dec 2004 1:05 PM PST
Burnaby Multicultural Services had 50 per cent of its core funding from the provincial government cut this week. The agency, operating for 20 years in Burnaby, was denied funding by the Settlement and Multiculturalism Branch.

United Airlines to cut hundreds of jobs
AFP via Yahoo! News Fri, 03 Dec 2004 2:56 PM PST
United Airlines sent layoff notices to 820 ramp and customer service workers at 18 US airports, as it continued its struggle to reduce its labour costs.

A ‘dark day' arrives for almost 300 at base
Kansas City Star Sat, 04 Dec 2004 0:21 AM PST
Friday was the final day of work for nearly 300 American Airlines employees at the Kansas City overhaul base. A layoff announced in October took effect for 223 hourly and 65 salaried workers at the Kansas City International Airport facility.

In Brief
Green Bay Press-Gazette Sat, 04 Dec 2004 0:57 AM PST
The Lang Cos. is closing its Door County Candle manufacturing plant at 1061 Shiloh Road, Sturgeon Bay. The retail store remains open. The closing affects 35 people, according to the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development’s plant closing and mass layoff listing.

Big banks report record profits in 2004, but growth expected to slow in 2005
Canadian Press via Yahoo! News Sat, 04 Dec 2004 8:53 AM PST
TORONTO (CP) - Canada's six biggest banks earned more than $13.3 billion in profits in the latest fiscal banking year, a record total above the $11.1 billion they collectively raked in last year.

Shearers' school in funds cut
Examiner.com.au Sat, 04 Dec 2004 5:11 AM PST
THE TASMANIAN wool industry could soon face a critical shortage of shearers due to reduced funding for training. Shearer and shed-hand trainer for Tasmania Craig McLaren said the problem was not lack of people wanting to work in the industry.

Electrolux Announces Layoff Of More Than 200 Workers
WCCO 4 Fri, 03 Dec 2004 9:43 AM PST
St. Cloud, Minn. (AP) Electrolux Home Products announced it would lay off 229 workers, or 13 percent of its production jobs, as it shifts some work on a small chest freezer to China.

American offers layoff incentives
BizJournals Thu, 02 Dec 2004 2:40 PM PST
American Airlines has been offering incentive packages to employees who leave the company voluntarily, Reuters reported Friday.

Go quietly, but go!

City Announces Layoff Date
KYW Thu, 02 Dec 2004 3:45 PM PST
PHILADELPHIA (KYW) The cuts are nearing as pink slips will soon go out to police officers, firefighters, and other city workers on January 10th. CBS 3’s Valerie Levesque reports the bottom line is that 500 union municipal workers throughout Philadelphia will in fact be laid off.

Phila Gets Ready To Send Out Layoff Notices
KYW News Radio 1060 Thu, 02 Dec 2004 5:26 PM PST
Philadelphia is moving closer to carrying out its plan to reduce its work force with layofff notices now set to go out after the new year. Managing Director Phil Goldsmith says the city has to eliminate 13-hundred positions by next June. Of those, 800 are expected to come through attrition.

Layoff roundup: Dec. 2, 2004
The Deal Thu, 02 Dec 2004 2:10 PM PST
©Copyright 2004, The Deal, LLC. All rights reserved. Please send all technical questions, comments or concerns to the Webmaster .

Governor Rendell Comments On Proposed SEPTA Cutbacks
PR Newswire Thu, 02 Dec 2004 3:03 PM PST
HARRISBURG, Pa., Dec. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Governor Edward G. Rendell issued the following statement today after SEPTA considered severe cutbacks: "The cutback plan considered by the SEPTA Board is the inevitable result of the legislature's failure to act.

Toledo Layoff Notices Given To City Workers
Ohio News Network Thu, 02 Dec 2004 4:06 AM PST
Toledo's budget problem has reached a crisis level. Layoff notices went out to more than 100 city workers Wednesday, that includes 27 cops and 23 firefighters.

Layoff notice given to 79 city workers Mayor says fire, police have chance of being called back
Toledo Blade Thu, 02 Dec 2004 3:36 AM PST
Toledo Mayor Jack Ford's administration yesterday issued layoff notices to 79 city employees covered by union contracts - including 50 police officers and firefighters - effective Dec. 31.

Job confidence down as IT layoff fears up
Tech Republic Thu, 02 Dec 2004 8:05 AM PST
Monthly survey shows tech workers are feeling a bit shakier about the job market.

GM moves up layoff date for more than 1,000 N.J. plant workers
St. Louis Post-Dispatch Thu, 02 Dec 2004 4:23 AM PST
General Motors Corp. will lay off most of the more than 1,000 workers at its assembly plant in Linden, N.J., early next year, months ahead of earlier plans to stop making two vehicles there, GM said

IT workers feel the layoff fear
ZDNet UK via Yahoo! UK & Ireland News Thu, 02 Dec 2004 0:20 AM PST
The latest survey of US technology workers has indicated that they are nervous about their job prospects amid mixed signals about the employment market

ITALY: Fiat reported to be planning lengthy Christmas layoff at Mirafiori
just-auto Thu, 02 Dec 2004 6:06 AM PST
Fiat Auto plans to lay off about 5,800 workers at its Mirafiori plant in Turin from December 27 until January 9, a company source told Reuters.

Cuts to Science Foundation in New Budget
Here and Now Thu, 02 Dec 2004 8:07 AM PST
In a move scientists have called "very distressing," Congress cut the National Science Foundation's budget on Monday by 2 percent, the first such cut in a decade. The cutback comes two years after Congress endorsed a plan to double NSF funding.

Key Antigun Program Loses Direct Financing
New York Times Wed, 01 Dec 2004 8:38 PM PST
Congress has ended direct financing for the centerpiece program of the Bush administration's efforts to prosecute black-market gun crimes.

Study: Delta Pull Out to Hurt DFW
WXIA-TV Thu, 02 Dec 2004 4:59 AM PST
GRAPEVINE, Texas (AP) -- The decision by Delta Air Lines Inc. to end most flights at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will cost the local economy more than $700 million a year and 7,000 jobs, according to a study commissioned by the airport.

Layoff emergency preparedness
CBS Market Watch Tue, 30 Nov 2004 10:24 PM PST
BOSTON (CBS.MW) -- Roy from Rowley, Mass. called my radio show Monday, a few days after being laid off.

Council approves layoff bill
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Tue, 30 Nov 2004 9:44 PM PST
City Council approved a bill yesterday shielding janitors, security guards and other service employees from immediate layoffs. The bill would require owners of large office buildings to keep workers on the job for six months even after switching contractors.

Agrium Conda cutback expected to be short-lived
Idaho State Journal Wed, 01 Dec 2004 8:09 AM PST
SODA SPRINGS - The impact of a job layoff at Soda Springs' second-largest employer will be much smaller than originally feared.

STATE WORKERS MEET
WAND Wed, 01 Dec 2004 7:35 AM PST
(WAND) Some state workers being laid off met yesterday to see what their futures hold. Last week Illinois Department of Natural Resources began issuing layoff notices to 87 employees statewide.

General Motors to cut 950 jobs at Linden unit
New Ratings Wed, 01 Dec 2004 0:53 AM PST
NEW YORK, December 1 (newratings.com) – General Motors (XGM.NYS) plans to layoff 950 employees at its Linden assembly unit in 1Q05 and stop the production of two of its sports utility vehicles, Chevy Blazer and GMC Jimmy, manufactured at the plant.

Leach workers prepare for layoffs
Northwestern Wed, 01 Dec 2004 1:36 AM PST
OSHKOSH — Dave Wiese has a simple wish for himself and fellow Leach Co. employees this holiday season. “Find us jobs,” Wiese said. After six years in the mounting division, Wiese recently received his 60-day layoff notification from Federal Signal Corp., Leach’s parent company.

Report on Delta cutback at DFW means airport
Miami Herald Wed, 01 Dec 2004 9:50 AM PST
GRAPEVINE, Texas - Delta's planned cutbacks at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport could mean more than three-quarters of a (B) billion dollars in economic losses.

Bush administration proposes 80% cutback in protected salmon habit
MSNBC Wed, 01 Dec 2004 8:39 AM PST
USA - The Bush administration yesterday proposed scaling back Endangered Species Act protections for salmon across four Western states, drawing cautious applause from development interests and derision from environmentalists.The proposal would drop safeguards for four-fifths of the waters previously designated "critical habitat" for dwindling salmon and steelhead runs across the Pacific Northwest

 

November 2004 (124 stories)

Leach Co. layoff notification goes out
WISinfo Tue, 30 Nov 2004 10:01 AM PST
OSHKOSH — Leach Co. will soon lay off the first of 150 people from its facility here. The company recently filed a 60-day layoff notification from Federal Signal Corp., Leach’s parent company.

SEPTA in limbo, sends out layoff notices
phillyburbs.com Tue, 30 Nov 2004 5:21 AM PST
The legislative session must, by law, end today. Republicans said they are not coming back until January.

UAL union voting on furlough plan
Rocky Mountain News Mon, 29 Nov 2004 11:19 PM PST
United Airlines' mechanics are voting on whether to start a voluntary layoff program as they brace for more pink slips at the troubled carrier

LOCAL NEWS from
Northwestern Tue, 30 Nov 2004 2:43 AM PST
Dave Wiese has a simple wish for himself and fellow Leach Co. employees this holiday season. “Find us jobs,” Wiese said. After six years in the mounting division, Wiese received his 60-day layoff notification from Federal Signal Corp., Leach’s parent company, earlier this month.

Opportunity missed
Chico Enterprise-Record Tue, 30 Nov 2004 0:25 AM PST
The Nov. 19 front-page article concerning the layoff of local DigitalPath employees is not surprising to me. It appears to be a natural adjustment to a company that is either not willing or not able to serve the local area.

Guv: North Cotabato to intensify tax collection
Sun Star Tue, 30 Nov 2004 8:26 AM PST
WITH reports of an impending cutback in the internal revenue allotment (IRA), several local government units (LGUs) are now planning to raise local tax rates.

Crude Oil Little Changed Near 3-Week High on Currency Concern
Bloomberg.com Mon, 29 Nov 2004 9:37 PM PST
Nov. 30 (Bloomberg) -- Crude oil was little changed near a three-week high on concern the falling U.S. dollar may lead to production cuts by members of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries.

Stocks Close Mixed, With Wal-Mart Weighing Down Dow
IWon - Money Mon, 29 Nov 2004 2:20 PM PST
Blue chips went on sale Monday, as cratering bond prices and a surprisingly poor performance by the biggest revenue-generating company in the world dashed early signs of a rally fueled by strong holiday spending.

Some Lejeune civilian employees familiar with layoff routine
The Charlotte Observer Mon, 29 Nov 2004 8:52 AM PST
CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. - Among the 283 civil service employees who may lose their jobs at Camp Lejeune because of a federal cost-savings audit is Selvie Burris, who has been down this road before.

Victims Shocked Over Boston Radio Fraud
AP via Yahoo! News Sun, 28 Nov 2004 4:24 PM PST
The photo shows Bradford C. Bleidt, a prominent member of Boston's business community, dressed in suit and tie at a party for staff of the business news radio station he was selling as it ramped up to a new 24-hour format. But the faint smile on his face, drink in hand, seemingly enjoying the get-together, betrayed the inner turmoil spinning inside him.

'Open for business'
News Banner Mon, 29 Nov 2004 7:24 AM PST
COVINGTON - In a push to sell Covington's urban center as a lucrative economic place to live and work, Mayor Candace Watkins is spearheading a campaign to lure business owners into town.

Study doubles number of jobs going offshore
The Times Argus Mon, 29 Nov 2004 6:01 AM PST
FAIRHAVEN, Mass. - Michael Brightman is reminded daily that workers in New Delhi do the same job he does. His Indian counterparts routinely direct AT&T customers to him for long-distance billing problems that the New Delhi workers can't answer.

Plane shortage forces cutback in terror mission
Canoe Sun, 28 Nov 2004 11:36 PM PST
OTTAWA -- A shortage of planes has forced the Canadian military to cut an anti-terrorism air surveillance mission down to two months. Two Aurora maritime patrol aircraft and their crews of 65 will pull out of Operation SIRIUS, the air force's contribution to the war on terrorism, by Christmas.

Feds come up short for Crystal River land purchase
Traverse City Record-Eagle Mon, 29 Nov 2004 7:06 AM PST
GLEN ARBOR - Federal officials failed to come through with all the money they pledged to close a deal to make 104 acres along the Crystal River part of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

Wal-Mart Sales Outlook Hurts Stocks at Early Afternoon
IWon - Money Mon, 29 Nov 2004 10:39 AM PST
A poor showing by Wal-Mart Stores over the Thanksgiving holiday dragged down blue chips Monday and spread to other retailing stocks, stalling an early- morning rally.

Tribe plans severe health-center cuts (11/27/2004)
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sat, 27 Nov 2004 0:20 AM PST
PUYALLUP -- Puyallup Indian health officials are planning severe cuts to services and staff to counter decreasing federal funding and rising patient levels.

Mega-Store Reduces Layoff Plans in Honolulu
KHNL Thu, 25 Nov 2004 1:28 PM PST
HONOLULU (AP) - The month-old Sam's Club on Keeaumoku Street has scaled back plans to layoff 90 workers, eliminating 57 positions instead. In a statement issued yesterday, a Sam's Club spokeswoman calls the layoffs unfortunate, but states no reason why the planned cuts were reduced.

Wachovia plans to layoff 829 SouthTrust workers in Birmingham
Miami Herald Thu, 25 Nov 2004 2:31 PM PST
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Wachovia Corp., the new owner of SouthTrust Corp., plans to cut 829 jobs in Birmingham between January 2005 and March 2006. More layoffs are expected to follow.

N.C. mass layoffs decline in October
BizJournals Fri, 26 Nov 2004 8:21 AM PST
North Carolina recorded five large layoffs in October, down from 19 in the same month last year, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Businesses axe £40m in research building
U tv Fri, 26 Nov 2004 6:00 AM PST
Most of the cutback occurred in the manufacturing sector - again highlighting the difficulties manufacturers continue to experience. For the first time the spending by universities on research and development exceeded that by business in 2003.

Weak Dollar Weighs on European Shares
Reuters via Yahoo! News Fri, 26 Nov 2004 5:41 AM PST
The dollar bounced back on Friday after diving to record lows in early trade but still dragged on European stock markets because of nagging concerns that a weakening U.S. currency would hurt company margins.

CO2 emissions by 34 major industrial sectors rise for 2nd year
Kyodo via Yahoo! Asia News Fri, 26 Nov 2004 2:41 AM PST
_ Carbon dioxide emissions by Japan's 34 major industrial sectors rose 1.0 percent in fiscal 2003 from the previous year to 502.39 million tons for the second straight yearly rise, the Japan Business Federation (Nippon Keidanren) said Friday.

Cutbacks should ring alarm bells
Express and Star Fri, 26 Nov 2004 1:27 AM PST
I write to you in dismay at the news of cutbacks to our local fire stations. They can only have a detrimental effect on the West Midlands.

THE MORNING MEMO
Kansas City Star Thu, 25 Nov 2004 0:28 AM PST
Fewer U.S. workers lost their jobs through mass layoffs in October than in any October since 2000. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics said Wednesday that 1,241 layoff actions, each involving at least 50 workers at a single work site, affected 127,774 workers in October.

City Workers Spend Holiday Worrying About Jobs Officials Say 500 Employees Will Be Laid Off
NBC 10 Philadelphia Wed, 24 Nov 2004 4:05 PM PST
PHILADELPHIA -- Many Philadelphia city workers will spend their holiday wondering if they will lose their jobs soon. City officials talked Wednesday about who will be affected by the mayor's layoff plan. It has been 20 years since the city has laid off employees.

Midstate's job picture improves in October
Tennessean Wed, 24 Nov 2004 10:34 PM PST
Job gains in health care, manufacturing and hospitality helped lower Nashville's unemployment rate to 3.9% in October compared with a year earlier, figures released yesterday show.

Roads take their toll State's budget troubles bad for area streets
The Union Wed, 24 Nov 2004 7:28 PM PST
California's budget woes mean more potholes and cracked roadways in Nevada County, a recent report drafted by a local commission concluded.

DNR layoffs include park chiefs
The State Journal-Register Wed, 24 Nov 2004 5:08 AM PST
About a dozen top managers at state parks, recreation and wildlife areas are among those to be issued layoff notices by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources.

HP mum on layoff details
San Jose Mercury News Tue, 23 Nov 2004 2:14 PM PST
It's probably a bit of a nervewracking day over at Hewlett-Packard, where there's word of looming layoffs but no details about where they'll be.

Mass layoffs up in October
BizJournals Wed, 24 Nov 2004 10:09 AM PST
Mass layoffs picked up in Ohio during October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, although they remained below last October's pace.

Eckerd's Pittsburgh distribution center to close
BizJournals Wed, 24 Nov 2004 5:36 AM PST
The Canadian firm that in August acquired Eckerd drug stores plans to close its distribution center in O'Hara on Jan. 16 and lay off its 150 workers between then and March, the company said Tuesday.

LEGISLATION
Engineering News Record Wed, 24 Nov 2004 9:47 AM PST
In a frenzied push to end their lame-duck session, Congress gave almost-final approval to a $388.4-billion fiscal 2005 spending package covering most non-defense agencies. The behemoth bill includes the budgets for many key construction programs.

Financial Express
Financial Express Wed, 24 Nov 2004 8:35 AM PST
BANGLADESH's economic growth has increased from an average three per cent in the 1970s to four per cent in the 1980s and five per cent in the 1990s. The country had a sustained steady growth of 5.1 per cent in the 1990s with manageable inflation and improved social indicators.

Holiday growth expected to be slightly lower this year
Dover Post Tue, 23 Nov 2004 5:57 PM PST
Economy experts are predicting a 3 to 6% increase in holiday sales over 2003, but expect the growth to be less then it was last year.

Bill would cut back federal college loans
The Times Argus Tue, 23 Nov 2004 11:40 AM PST
The federal government will be able to require millions of college students to shoulder more of the cost of their education under the new spending bill before Congress.

DNR to lay off 87 statewide
The State Journal-Register Tue, 23 Nov 2004 5:20 AM PST
The Illinois Department of Natural Resources has begun issuing layoff notices to 87 employees statewide.

StarTek has layoff - then rehires some workers
The Town Talk Mon, 22 Nov 2004 8:26 PM PST
StarTek, a call center that began business in April, announced Monday it laid off 31 workers last week because of reduced demand. However, late Monday afternoon the company's Denver headquarters said it had rehired 19 of those workers due to increased business.

Pa. among states hit hardest by layoffs
The Daily Item Tue, 23 Nov 2004 1:25 AM PST
New government data indicates that Pennsylvania is still among the states hardest hit by mass layoff actions. In the third quarter, Pennsylvania was ranked seventh among all states and the District of Columbia with the largest number of worker separations.

Toledo Powertrain to ask 150 to take layoffs as GM cuts output
Toledo Blade Tue, 23 Nov 2004 3:35 AM PST
General Motors Corp.'s Toledo Powertrain will temporarily idle about 150 of 3,600 workers - the first layoff at the transmission factory in 25 years - following the automaker's decision to shut down five assembly plants over various weeks early next year.

Toledo Kids Program Could Suffer From Budget Problems
WTOL News 11 Mon, 22 Nov 2004 2:35 PM PST
TOLEDO -- It's been a week since the Ford Administration announced plans to slash 112 city of Toledo jobs to close a $17 million budget deficit. The cuts include fifty police and firefighter positions, but one cutback not discussed that much could affect children more than jobs.

Roads take their toll State's budget troubles bad for area streets
The Union Tue, 23 Nov 2004 6:14 AM PST
California's budget woes mean more potholes and cracked roadways in Nevada County, a recent report drafted by a local commission concluded.

SEPTA to begin sending out layoff notices
phillyburbs.com Mon, 22 Nov 2004 5:02 AM PST
PHILADELPHIA - The city's cash-strapped transit agency will be mailing out pink slips to hundreds of employees, telling them they could lose their jobs in 60 days.

Top 5 resume lies
CNN Money Mon, 22 Nov 2004 9:18 AM PST
NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Everybody tells a white lie -- even a bold-faced one -- from time to time. But apparently a fair number do so on their job search.

Philadelphia Civil Case Management Goes From Near-Last to Best
Law.com via Yahoo! Finance Mon, 22 Nov 2004 0:00 AM PST
After being ranked second-to-last among the country's 45 largest urban trial courts in 1992, Philadelphia was recently called "arguably the best-managed large urban trial court operation" in the country.        
for you bro'!

Library named after John Steinbeck to close
The Washington Times Sun, 21 Nov 2004 11:15 AM PST
SALINAS, CA, Nov. 21 (UPI) -- Salinas, Calif., officials say the downtown Steinbeck Library, the El Gabilan branch and the Cesar Chavez branch are to be closed by next July.

SEPTA In a Pinch After No Bail Out Package
KYW News Radio 1060 Sun, 21 Nov 2004 11:09 AM PST
SEPTA says its back is up against a wall now that the Pennsylvania legislature adjourned without approving a bailout package for the transit agency. "We are in a position where we are out of time, out of options and we are out of money.

Salinas prepares to shut libraries, a first in state
San Jose Mercury News Sun, 21 Nov 2004 8:42 AM PST
Salinas, whose famous son John Steinbeck once said, ``I guess there are never enough books'' and whose main library -- named for Steinbeck -- flies a banner reading ``Salinas celebrates literacy,'' is about to become the first city in California to shut down its libraries.

Dodging market forces gives Germany rude awakening
Boston Globe Sat, 20 Nov 2004 11:48 PM PST
Global competition can be a drag. It all but guarantees a steady stream of restructuring, outsourcing, and the nagging insecurity that comes from knowing someone out there may be trying to take your job.

TEXTILE JOBS: Goodbye U.S., hello China
The Charlotte Observer Sun, 21 Nov 2004 0:20 AM PST
In six weeks, the Carolinas textile and apparel industry begins its most desperate battle to survive low-wage foreign competition. In six weeks, the Carolinas textile and apparel industry begins its most desperate battle to survive low-wage foreign competition.

Jobs don't pay enough to loosen poverty's grip
Detroit News Sat, 20 Nov 2004 11:36 PM PST
JUAREZ, MEXICO --Rush hour in Juarez begins at 5 a.m. with a convoy of pale buses belching and creaking down the Ejercito Nacional, their white paint barely covering the names of the U.S. schools that discarded them.

House approves spending bill that would reduce college aid
San Diego Union-Tribune Sun, 21 Nov 2004 2:04 AM PST
The federal government will be able to require millions of college students to shoulder more of the cost of their education under the spending bill approved yesterday by the House.

County's unemployment rate increases, still remains less than state's average
Alexander City Outlook Fri, 19 Nov 2004 11:43 PM PST
While the state of Alabama saw consecutive months of decline in unemployment numbers, Tallapoosa County's numbers increased to 5.4 percent. "There was a small layoff of 90 people in leisure and hospitality," Ron Macksoud, spokesperson for the Alabama Department of Industrial relations, said.

DigitalPath workers get layoff notices
Chico Enterprise-Record Fri, 19 Nov 2004 0:28 AM PST
Broadband Internet provider DigitalPath Networks issued layoff notices to a "significant number" of employees on Wednesday, but called the move a strategy to keep the company steady.

Matsushita to lay off 63 in Kent
BizJournals Fri, 19 Nov 2004 9:32 AM PST
More than 60 employees at a Matsushita Electric Corp. of America facility in Kent have received layoff notices, according to a notice sent to the state.

SEPTAs ball in states court
phillyburbs.com Fri, 19 Nov 2004 7:09 AM PST
Transit officials are weighing fare hikes of 38 percent and service cuts of 42 percent as a last resort.

State Jobless Rate Holds Steady Officials Say Numbers May Indicate Rebounding Economy
The Boston Channel Fri, 19 Nov 2004 8:30 AM PST
BOSTON -- Massachusetts' unemployment rate held steady at 4.6 percent in October, a month after the state's jobless rate saw its largest one-month decline in 26 years, state officials said Friday.

Naples calls budget plan 'a recipe for disaster'
The Buffalo News Fri, 19 Nov 2004 6:31 AM PST
Consumers probably won't generate the sales tax fortune expected. Wall Street's credit agencies won't like Erie County's latest use of reserves. And the county must ease away from tobacco-settlement money.

Officials say overhaul unrelated to controversial lobbying contract
Lottery Post Fri, 19 Nov 2004 8:54 AM PST
In a shake-up billed as a reorganization, the Texas Lottery Commission eliminated 33 jobs Thursday, saying it will save $296,000 annually in salaries.

Solons feasting on pork
INQ7.net Fri, 19 Nov 2004 8:56 AM PST
HAPPY days are here again. No, not for the public who will continue to bear the brunt of rising prices of basic commodities, fuel, electricity and transport fares but only for a chosen few -- the country's legislators.

Lack of funds bludgeons library's book budget
Times-Standard Fri, 19 Nov 2004 7:03 AM PST
EUREKA -- As you walk in the main branch here past the checkout desk, there is a set of shelves that painfully illustrates the Humboldt County Library's plight.

Portsmouth Herald Local News: Curtains for theater?
Portsmouth Herald Fri, 19 Nov 2004 6:18 AM PST
Curtains for theater? PORTSMOUTH - Seacoast Repertory Theatre is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, and like so many theaters nationwide, it’s fighting to stay alive.

County urges SEPTA funding
Times Herald Fri, 19 Nov 2004 0:27 AM PST
COURTHOUSE - The Montgomery County commissioners are placing the health of the county's economy onto the shoulders of the county's state legislative delegation in Harrisburg.

Norristown managers to draft layoff lists
The Philadelphia Inquirer Thu, 18 Nov 2004 0:33 AM PST
A $1.6 million gap is expected if the proposed '05 budget is approved. A meeting is set for Tuesday. The Norristown Municipal Council gave its managers marching orders for dealing with a $1.6 million hole in the proposed 2005 budget: Prepare for layoffs.

SafePlace forced to cutback
News 8 Austin Wed, 17 Nov 2004 1:52 PM PST
SafePlace is preparing for a tight budget year and cuts in its services. The center offers protection for battered women and survivors of rape in Central Texas.

Chugai Pharma to layoff 65, relocate to New Jersey
San Diego Daily Transcript via Yahoo! News Tue, 16 Nov 2004 1:35 PM PST
Chugai Pharma USA, LLC announced that over the next six months, the operations of CPUSA will be relocated from San Diego, California to Bedminster, New Jersey.

FINANCIAL HEADLINES: Technology -- Compuware lays off workers at Detroit headquarters
Detroit Free Press Wed, 17 Nov 2004 1:09 AM PST
Compuware Corp. has laid off an undisclosed number of employees from its downtown Detroit headquarters. Employees said they were given layoff notices Tuesday. Company cited market demands as the reason for the layoffs, but declined to specify a number.

Portugal State Budget to Relaunch Economy
Associated Press via Yahoo! Finance Wed, 17 Nov 2004 3:28 AM PST
Prime Minister Pedro Santana Lopes said Wednesday his conservative government is ending two years of austerity measures and introducing policies aimed at relaunching Portugal's economic growth.

Ford's Jaguar Criticized by U.K. Lawmakers Over Job-Cut Plan
Bloomberg.com Wed, 17 Nov 2004 7:29 AM PST
U.K. Nov. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Jaguar, the unprofitable luxury carmaker owned by Ford Motor Co., failed to consult labor unions adequately about a plan to reorganize the business and cut 1,150 jobs, U.K. lawmakers told Jaguar Chairman Joe Greenwell.

Demand outstrips food pantry supplies; officials say state's high cost of living causing more families to seek help
The Enterprise Wed, 17 Nov 2004 10:18 AM PST
A typical day for Philomena Hare is buying food for the Salvation Army food pantry in Brockton, stocking shelves, recruiting and training volunteers, and making calls seeking donations.

APP.COM - Ridership sinks, but ferry operator says it's still afloat
Asbury Park Press Wed, 17 Nov 2004 8:52 AM PST
Following media reports of NY Waterway's impending demise, the commuter ferry operator said yesterday that notices warning employees of a possible shutdown in 60 days were a legal requirement, by no means intended to signal the company was abandoning ship.

State team to help 237 Lear Corp. workers facing layoff
BizJournals Tue, 16 Nov 2004 8:45 AM PST
Missouri's Rapid Response Team will help about 240 workers of Lear Corp. who will lose their jobs in December.

AMCC Announces Restructuring
Converge! Network Digest Mon, 15 Nov 2004 7:43 PM PST
Applied Micro Circuits Corporation (AMCC) announced a restructuring of its operations, including a consolidation of facilities and a layoff of approximately 150 people, or about 20 percent of its workforce.

DFW: Southwest Attempting To Deny Competition
Aviation Now Tue, 16 Nov 2004 5:43 AM PST
Southwest's refusal to take up Delta's slack at Dallas/Fort Worth International could be an attempt to head off bargain-fare competition in Texas, a top airport official has said.

Health system trims testing lab services
Pittsburgh Daily Courier Mon, 15 Nov 2004 10:15 PM PST
One diagnostic testing center is closing and services at another are being curtailed in ongoing changes resulting from a local hospital merger.

Macomb City Council set to raise taxes
Monmouth Review Atlas Mon, 15 Nov 2004 1:10 PM PST
MACOMB-For only the second time since the county adopted the Illinois Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), the Macomb City Council is poised to raise city property taxes in line with appropriate tax caps. The tax increase cannot exceed 2.5 per cent.

Bob Evans Farms 2Q Net Falls 41% On Lower Comps >BOBE
IWon - Money Mon, 15 Nov 2004 2:12 PM PST
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Dow Jones)--Bob Evans Farms Inc.'s (BOBE) second-quarter net income fell 41% hurt by soft same-store sales and lower operating margins.

Struggling Sun Micro turns into layoff maker
Business Journals Sun, 14 Nov 2004 9:23 PM PST
Is the sun setting on Sun Microsystems Inc.'s once-proud campus in Newark?

Tower to fire 170
Jerusalem Post Mon, 15 Nov 2004 10:47 AM PST
Tower Semiconductor Ltd. said Monday it is implementing a series of cost-cutting measures that will include the layoff of 170 workers, or about 12 percent of its staff.

By Barbara France News Editor
Lassen County News Mon, 15 Nov 2004 10:08 AM PST
As part of its routine business, the Susanville City Council decided to take one more step in securing the city’s financial future and layoff three employees.

New Delphi Contract Cuts 120 Jobs at Other Firm
WGRZ-TV Buffalo Mon, 15 Nov 2004 4:58 AM PST
Over 100 employees at a Niagara County company face the loss of their jobs this year, and they blame the deal that their own union signed on behalf of employees at Delphi Harrison Thermal Systems.

Remarks by Governor Mark W. Olson
Federal Reserve Board Mon, 15 Nov 2004 10:19 AM PST
Thank you for inviting me to speak to you today about my assessment of current economic conditions in the United States and what is required to maintain an economic environment conducive to growth, job creation, and price stability.

Library strives to stay open
The Buffalo News Mon, 15 Nov 2004 7:10 AM PST
Western New Yorkers love their libraries - and never more than when they're in danger.

Work is woman's burning love Oakland lampshade guru and Elvis fanatic, laid off after 48 years, seeking another job
Oakland Tribune Sun, 14 Nov 2004 7:49 AM PST
RECENTLY laid off because of company downsizing, clutching a glowing letter of recommendation in her hand, Olive Gonzales of Oakland finds herself venturing forth into the job market. She's not sure what she'll do. She's got a solid work history and her whole life ahead of her.

Council set to raise taxes
Macomb Journal Sun, 14 Nov 2004 10:42 AM PST
MACOMB-For only the second time since the county adopted the Illinois Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL), the Macomb City Council is poised to raise city property taxes in line with appropriate tax caps. The tax increase cannot exceed 2.5 per cent.

Railroad to transfer 65 jobs out of Pocatello
Idaho State Journal Sun, 14 Nov 2004 9:06 AM PST
POCATELLO - Union Pacific announced Friday it will transfer 65 jobs out of the Gate City by mid-February. The move will affect employees of UP subsidiary Union Pacific Fruit Express, who will have the choice of moving or losing their jobs.

Mortimer B. Zuckerman: A prescription for sanity
US News & World Report Sat, 13 Nov 2004 3:18 PM PST
A ll the clamor over our soaring health costs runs the risk of producing a dangerously wrong prescription. An aging population of baby boomers will begin to retire at the end of this decade. By 2050, Medicare and Medicaid alone could eat up 21 percent of gross domestic product.

Seagrave to lay off 65 workers
Northwestern Sat, 13 Nov 2004 1:51 AM PST
CLINTONVILLE — Mayor Richard Beggs said he expects the expansion of Seagrave Fire Apparatus to proceed despite the announced layoff of 65 workers at Clintonville’s largest employer.

Navarre warns 40 Toledo officers of layoffs
Toledo Blade Sat, 13 Nov 2004 6:15 AM PST
Toledo police Chief Michael Navarre has told 40 police officers by mail that they could be laid off as early as Jan. 1. Chief Navarre stressed in his letter that it was not the official 30-day layoff notice - just an attempt to be informative and dispel rumors.

County workers warned of layoffs as hearings begin on budget
The Buffalo News Sat, 13 Nov 2004 6:26 AM PST
County Budget Director Joseph Passafiume, top, testifies at Friday's budget hearing. At left, he checks the austere, so-called "red budget," which would make big cuts in services

Newest Sam's Club to layoff 90 workers
KPUA Hilo Fri, 12 Nov 2004 6:15 AM PST
HONOLULU (AP) _ Just a few weeks after opening its doors, the newest Sam's Club warehouse in Honolulu announced it is laying off 90 employees. The company says sales have not met expectations, forcing the cutbacks. The layoffs are effective next Thursday.

Layoff roundup: Nov. 11, 2004
The Deal Thu, 11 Nov 2004 2:21 PM PST
Analysts polled by Reuters forecast initial claims to climb to 340,000 in the week ended Nov. 6 from 331,000 the previous week. This was revised from an initially reported 332,000.

SEPTA details proposed cuts
Philadelphia Daily News and Inquirer via Yahoo! News Fri, 12 Nov 2004 0:50 AM PST
SEPTA's board of directors detailed yesterday how they would dismantle transit service as we know it to fill a $62 million budget deficit - and complained that no one was taking them seriously.

Carrier marks 75th anniversary; Union plans protest
USA Today Fri, 12 Nov 2004 3:07 AM PST
HONOLULU (AP) — With healthy profits and a bankruptcy reorganization nearing completion, Hawaiian Airlines marked its 75th anniversary Thursday with a festive ceremony at its Honolulu airport ticketing lobby.

By Bob Reynolds Jobs in Jeopardy in Luzerne County
WNEP 16 Fri, 12 Nov 2004 10:05 AM PST
Friday, November 12, 12:25 p.m. Hundreds of area factory workers have fallen victim to the axe this year and you can add more to the list. There's word a perfume factory is closing in Luzerne County.

Night buses stop rolling in January
The Union Fri, 12 Nov 2004 8:27 AM PST
The Transit Services Commission cut the already curtailed Route 9 Wednesday, sounding the long-expected death knell for the evening bus service that connects Grass Valley and Nevada City.

Jobs go at Lotus
EveningNews24 Fri, 12 Nov 2004 4:50 AM PST
LOTUS cars is set to axe about 350 jobs following the loss of a major project. Workers at the plant at Hethel, which makes Lotus cars and is home to a cutting-edge engineering consultancy, were told the devastating news late yesterday afternoon.

United Way in a bad way
Hunstville Item Thu, 11 Nov 2004 10:43 PM PST
The news was not all gloom and doom, but it was close. On Thursday evening, directors and board members of Huntsville's largest nonprofit agencies were called together and told that the United Way's local fund-raising campaign is lagging far behind its 2004-05 goal.

Omaha Company Cuts 192 Jobs
The Omaha Channel Thu, 11 Nov 2004 10:03 AM PST
OMAHA, Neb. -- An Omaha company announced 192 layoffs Thursday. Connectivity Solutions Manufacturing, an indirect manufacturing subsidiary of CommScope, will layoff 150 direct production employees and 42 managers.

Mayor Street Warns of Coming City Layoffs
KYW News Radio 1060 Thu, 11 Nov 2004 10:49 AM PST
Mayor Street says the layoff of city workers to balance the budget is "all but a certainty." For months now, Mayor Street has said that layoffs would be a last resort, but now he confirms that layoffs are virtually certain to be part of the way he reduces the city workforce by about six percent.

Candidates square off over education
CBC Edmonton Wed, 10 Nov 2004 3:14 PM PST
Edmonton - The Tory government wasn't to blame for the layoff of hundreds of teachers last year, Conservative candidate Drew Hutton told an election forum Wednesday.

Night buses stop rolling in January
The Union Thu, 11 Nov 2004 7:42 AM PST
The Transit Services Commission cut the already curtailed Route 9 Wednesday, sounding the long-expected death knell for the evening bus service that connects Grass Valley and Nevada City.

More local news
Banbury Today Thu, 11 Nov 2004 8:32 AM PST
HEALTH chiefs and doctors will be quizzed by Banbury's population on Saturday when hundreds of people attend a public meeting aimed at saving the Horton Hospital's children's ward.

Fall River Fabric Company Will Lay Off 140 Employees
News Channel 10 Wed, 10 Nov 2004 5:34 PM PST
Fall River, Mass. -- A Fall River company that makes fabric will lay off 140 workers to try to cut costs. Quaker Fabric Inc. lost $2 million in the third quarter and said it needs to cut expenses company-wide.

Campbell city employees face layoffs
The Youngstown Vindicator Tue, 09 Nov 2004 6:56 AM PST
Several city workers will lose their jobs Christmas Day. CAMPBELL — Layoff notices will be delivered to as many as 11 city employees by the middle of next week.

Fall of mighty greenback sends tremors from Toronto to Beijing
The Globe and Mail Tue, 09 Nov 2004 0:56 AM PST
Early this year, the weakened U.S. dollar was hammering the bottom line of Soheil Mosun Ltd., forcing the temporary layoff of nearly a third of its work force.

Marsh & McLennan to lay off 3,000
USA Today Tue, 09 Nov 2004 6:02 AM PST
NEW YORK (AP) — Insurance brokerage Marsh & McLennan (MMC) said Tuesday that it will lay off 3,000 employees, or about 5% of its workforce, as it struggles with the fallout from a bid-rigging probe by New York's attorney general.

HAMILTON SUNDSTRAND PLANT CLOSING
KJCT 8 Grand Junction Mon, 08 Nov 2004 12:35 PM PST
A plant in Grand Junction announces plans for lay-offs. Aerospace manufacturer Hamilton Sundstrand says it plans to layoff 600 employees at three U-S plants including the facility in Grand Junction. It's unclear how many jobs will be affected at the Colorado plant.

U.S. Sept. job turnover little changed
CBS Market Watch Tue, 09 Nov 2004 8:09 AM PST
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Job losses and new hiring were little changed in the United States in September, the Labor Department said Tuesday.

AOL to split into four units
Ars Technica Tue, 09 Nov 2004 10:51 AM PST
In a bid to stay focused, profitable, and most importantly, relevant , AOL has announced that the company is essentially going to break itself into four business units.

Mitsubishi production cutback deal
NEWS.com.au Tue, 09 Nov 2004 5:19 AM PST
TROUBLED car maker Mitsubishi Motors is to scale back vehicle production from Monday switching to a four-day working week. The Christmas/New Year shutdown will be stretched by seven days to cut vehicle numbers.

Life as a hub comes to a close at airport
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Mon, 08 Nov 2004 9:33 PM PST
The hub is gone. Pittsburgh International Airport officially lost its status as a US Airways hub on Sunday, prompting the closing of the airport's commuter terminal and a cutback in the hours of airport retailers and restaurants yesterday.

Europe open to outsourcing from India- The Times of India
The Times of India Mon, 08 Nov 2004 11:56 AM PST
THE HAGUE: For those troubled about the H1-B visa cutback from the United States, keep your fingers crossed for Indian efforts to prise open the European job market for Indian professionals.

Tax abatement under review
The Des Moines Register Tue, 09 Nov 2004 2:56 AM PST
development of housing in the downtown area. City leaders could slash a special tax break that has been called the spark behind downtown Des Moines' housing boom.

La Clinica to be closed on Sundays
Tri-City Herald Online Tue, 09 Nov 2004 5:27 AM PST
Starting this weekend, Sunday will be a day off for employees and medical staff at Community Health Center La Clinica in Pasco. Citing a lack of patient demand for the Sunday hours, La Clinica officials said they are trimming the weekly schedule for walk-in patient care for the winter.

Delta Air spells out layoff strategy
MSNBC Sun, 07 Nov 2004 3:02 PM PST
NEW YORK - Delta Air Lines Inc., the No. 3 U.S. carrier, said Sunday it will cut 2,000 aircraft-maintenance jobs, up to 3,100 customer-service jobs, and between 1,600 and 1,800 supervisory and administrative personnel as part of a previously announced plan to cut total staffing by 7,000.

SBC confirms it will cut at least 10,000 jobs
Business Journals Mon, 08 Nov 2004 9:55 AM PST
SBC Communications Inc. will cut at least 10,000 jobs by the end of 2005, the company said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission late Friday.

The Brand Called Us
Fast Company Magazine Mon, 08 Nov 2004 3:04 AM PST
This month's letter from the editor.

$1.3 million in cuts loom for Grand Haven schools
The Holland Sentinel Mon, 08 Nov 2004 4:07 AM PST
With flat revenues from the state, flat enrollment and increasing costs, the Grand Haven school district will need to make $1.3 million in reductions from next year's budget.

Volkswagen, German Union OK Pay Freeze
Associated Press via Yahoo! Finance Wed, 03 Nov 2004 7:51 AM PST
Under pressure to cut costs and improve earnings, the automaker Volkswagen AG struck a far-reaching compromise with its workers Wednesday, winning a 28-month pay freeze and lower pay for new hires in return for a no-layoff guarantee until 2012.      
Lotsa luck, VW!

By LAWRENCE AGCAOILI
ABS-CBNNEWS.com Wed, 03 Nov 2004 6:38 AM PST
Port users, freight forwarders, integrators and brokerage companies are up in arms and are seeking the deferment of the implementation of a new law that regulates the customs brokers’ profession in the country, saying that this could lead to higher costs, scare away investors and result to massive layoff of workers.

Investor's Business Daily: Breaking News
Investors.com Tue, 02 Nov 2004 12:17 PM PST
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Layoff announcements by U.S. companies fell 5.6 percent to 101,840 in October but remained at relatively high levels, according to a report released Tuesday.

American Red Cross to close Eagan lab
Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal Wed, 03 Nov 2004 7:30 AM PST
The American Red Cross plans to shut its National Testing Laboratory in Eagan and lay off 75 employees. The closing is part of a cutback which will reduce the number of labs to five nationwide, the Star Tribune reported.

Health minister downplays worries about hospitals threatening cuts
Canada.com Wed, 03 Nov 2004 3:58 AM PST
SOUND OFF! TORONTO -- Many Ontario hospitals are following a pattern of threatening layoffs and bed closures instead of getting on with the tough work of balancing their books, Health Minister George Smitherman said Tuesday.

Budget plan blasted
Canoe Wed, 03 Nov 2004 0:25 AM PST
Warnings of huge bed and job cuts at London hospitals flew at Queen's Park yesterday, as the opposition blasted the Liberal government for demanding Ontario hospitals balance their budgets.

 

October 2004 (26 stories)

MarketWatch.com may put itself on the block
MSNBC Thu, 28 Oct 2004 10:34 AM PDT
NEW YORK - MarketWatch.com Inc., a financial news provider, is looking to sell itself in an auction that could see the company fetch as much as $400 million, the New York Times reported on Thursday, citing executives involved in the sale.

Government scales down carbon emission targets
Independent Wed, 27 Oct 2004 5:58 PM PDT
Britain's power stations and heavy industries were given increased allowances to emit carbon dioxide (CO2), the principal gas causing global warming, in a controversial government announcement yesterday.

More GM layoffs point to slow sales
Detroit Free Press Thu, 28 Oct 2004 0:33 AM PDT
General Motors Corp. has told more than 9,000 workers at five plants that primarily make SUVs and pickups that they will be laid off for a week or more early next year as the company continues to reduce production of its vehicles.

MORE COVERAGE
The Daily Item Thu, 28 Oct 2004 0:34 AM PDT
Cutbacks in the time for lunch, recess and the traditional Halloween parties have elementary school parents upset - and the decision-maker in these changes is Superintendent of Schools Nadine Binkley.

Major Rockford employer sends layoff notices to employees
Miami Herald Thu, 28 Oct 2004 3:39 AM PDT
ROCKFORD, Ill. - Workers at the Amerock Corporation in Rockford have been told they will be out of a job in 60 days.

Despite warning, Ultralife beats Street
Rochester Democrat & Chronicle Thu, 28 Oct 2004 7:58 AM PDT
(October 28, 2004) — Ultralife Batteries Inc. reported slightly better than expected earnings today. One month ago, the company lowered its expectations for the remainder of the year and said it could layoff up to 250 workers if military sales do not improve.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004
Hollister Free Lance Wed, 27 Oct 2004 12:33 PM PDT
Hollister - Police Chief Jeff Miller s first year on the job accosted him with a massive budget shortfall, staffing levels that are less than half the national standard and a citywide layoff that took four positions away from the already depleted department.

Special charges sink Mondavi profit Oakville winery lost $57.7 million in first quarter
San Francisco Chronicle Thu, 28 Oct 2004 9:55 AM PDT
Inventory write-downs, severance payments and other special charges totaling $105.9 million ($3.91 per share) sent Robert Mondavi Corp.'s earnings into the red by $57.7 million ($3.47 per share) in the quarter ended Sept. 30, the Oakville company said yesterday.

Plexus sales up 26 percent
The Business Journal of Milwaukee Thu, 28 Oct 2004 8:58 AM PDT
Plexus Corp. reported a net loss for the fiscal fourth quarter of $36.8 million, or 85 cents per share, compared with a net loss in the same period last year of $3.9 million, or 9 cents per share, Plexus reported after markets closed Wednesday.

Pink slips for Chicago transit workers
The Washington Times Wed, 27 Oct 2004 9:48 AM PDT
Chicago, IL, Oct. 27 (UPI) -- A looming budget crisis has forced the Chicago Transit Authority to send layoff notices to more than 1,000 employees, 90 percent bus and train operators.

Celanese laying off 200 at Rock Hill plant
The Charlotte Observer Wed, 27 Oct 2004 5:55 AM PDT
Celanese Acetate will lay off about 200 workers from its Rock Hill plant by mid-2005 under a plan to consolidate its manufacturing operations, the company said Tuesday.

Funding cutback pinches library
The Indianapolis Star Tue, 26 Oct 2004 0:32 AM PDT
Town Hall forum will seek ways to cope with loss of $1 million caused by state trims. With a $1 million budget shortfall looming, the Carmel Clay Public Library will have its first Town Hall meeting in three years Thursday night.

News 10 Now | 24 Hour Local News | TOP STORIES
News 10 Now Tue, 26 Oct 2004 8:04 AM PDT
A decreased demand for glass used to manufacture computer chips has prompted the layoff of twenty production workers at the Corning plant in Canton. The plant has offered the workers a voluntary layoff. This will allow senior level employees to take the layoff in place of newer employees.

CompuCom cutting 66 jobs in Mason
Cincinnati Business Courier Mon, 25 Oct 2004 11:58 AM PDT
Dallas-based CompuCom has notified the state of Ohio that it plans to close an office in Mason and lay off 66 workers by the end of the year. The company filed a Worker Adjustment Retraining Notification, or WARN, on Oct. 22. In the filing, the company said the workers face a layoff date of Dec. 31.

U.S. October Consumer Confidence Index Falls to 92.8 From 96.7
Bloomberg.com Tue, 26 Oct 2004 7:38 AM PDT
U.S. Oct. 26 (Bloomberg) -- U.S. consumer confidence fell for a third straight month in October, a private survey showed, suggesting rising voter discontent with the economy a week before President George W. Bush seeks re-election.      
American consumer confidence: ya gotta love it!!!

Macon might cut back city workers' schedules
Macon Telegraph Mon, 25 Oct 2004 0:07 AM PDT
Still strapped for money, the Macon City Council is considering measures that would trim the work schedule - and the pay - of city employees.

Manufacturing mass layoffs declined
Mississippi Business Journal Mon, 25 Oct 2004 9:53 AM PDT
WASHINGTON — In September, employers took 708 mass layoff actions, as measured by new filings for unemployment insurance benefits during the month, according to data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

U.S. 'City of Looms' Fears for Future
Reuters via Yahoo! News Mon, 25 Oct 2004 6:38 AM PDT
After a more than a century of churning out towels, sheets and bedspreads for American homes, there's no future for textiles in this self-proclaimed "city of looms," and many other North Carolina towns fear the same fate.

Tech sector's not well yet
Sun-Sentinel Mon, 25 Oct 2004 0:16 AM PDT
Though it has rebounded from the depths of 2002, the tech sector can't seem to keep any momentum. Announced job cuts in the tech sector rose by a stunning 60 percent in the third quarter, to 54,701, according to a quarterly report by outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas.

U.S. layoff announcements leaped 45% in September
CBS Market Watch Tue, 05 Oct 2004 7:05 AM PDT
WASHINGTON (CBS.MW) -- Layoff announcements by U.S. companies surged 45 percent in September to nearly 108,000, the highest number of planned job cuts since January, outplacement firm Challenger Grey & Christmas said Tuesday.

Volkswagen, Workers Haggle on Wage Freeze
AP via Yahoo! News Tue, 05 Oct 2004 10:53 AM PDT
Volkswagen resumed crucial wage talks with its workers Tuesday, with the two sides haggling for nine hours over the automaker's push for a two-year wage freeze in return for a no-layoff pledge.

Breaking news : All categories
Ample Tue, 05 Oct 2004 7:29 AM PDT
Interactive Investor brings you breaking news throughout the day to support your investment decisions. You can also filter by category

Custom yacht manufacturer cuts staff
Business Journal of Tampa Bay Mon, 04 Oct 2004 7:25 AM PDT
Tampa-based Westship World Yachts LLC laid off 25 employees in what a company official called "a positive move." Allan Hollison, vice president of operations, said the layoff Friday was "a normal procedure" and part of a reorganization to make the company stronger.

Goodyear cutting jobs at Tennessee plant
Miami Herald Sat, 02 Oct 2004 10:28 AM PDT
PADUCAH, Ky. - Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. announced Friday that another 250 jobs would be cut in Union City, Tenn., effective Nov. 1, amid continuing financial trouble by the auto industry nationwide.

Honeywell Chesterfield Plant announces possible cutback of 300 jobs
Hopewell News Thu, 30 Sep 2004 2:06 PM PDT
Honeywell International Inc. announced Wednesday the proposal for a possible cutback, which would affect nearly half of the employees at the Chesterfield Plant.

Dorsey Trailers
WTVY-TV 4 Fri, 01 Oct 2004 8:04 AM PDT
For the second time in two years, Dorsey trailers have filed for bankruptcy. At one time, the Elba-based company employed several hundred people in Coffee and surrounding counties.

 

September 2004 (11 stories after Sep 16)

Nortel trims layoff plan
Singapore.CNET.com Thu, 30 Sep 2004 9:17 PM PDT
Nortel had already slashed its workforce by about 60,000 over the past three years. Currently, the company employs 36,000 people worldwide. Most of the most recent reductions will be in North America, the company said. About 1,400 jobs will be cut from the United States and 950 in Canada, it said.

More Terrebonne Parish government workers face layoff
KATC3 Thu, 30 Sep 2004 2:11 PM PDT
HOUMA, La. Another 72 workers could lose their jobs by year's end to bring Terrebonne Parish government's spending in line with income. The layoffs, which the administration proposes in the 2005 budget, would be added to the 85 workers who lost their jobs earlier this year.

CAIRO MAYOR ALTERS FIREFIGHTER LAYOFF PLAN
Southern Illinoisan Thu, 30 Sep 2004 5:29 AM PDT
CAIRO -- Cairo Mayor Paul Farris suggested a solution, but the issue of layoffs for the Cairo Fire Department is not over yet.

Nortel Details Layoff Plans
Light Reading Thu, 30 Sep 2004 7:38 AM PDT
Nortel Networks Ltd. (NYSE/Toronto: NT - message board) today fleshed out its staff reduction plans by announcing that 3,250 posts will be cut, down from the expected 3,500 (see Nortel Cuts 3,500 Jobs ). North America is hit the hardest, accounting for more than 70 percent of the cuts (see release).

Delphi to lay off 120 workers at Dayton-area plant
Miami Herald Wed, 29 Sep 2004 10:34 PM PDT
VANDALIA, Ohio - Delphi Corp. will lay off 120 workers at its Safety and Interior Systems plant starting Monday, the company said. "The layoff is basically a reduction in volume," spokeswoman Lindsey Williams said Wednesday.

Presidents and Jobs (Again)
MSNBC Sun, 26 Sep 2004 7:24 AM PDT
Oct. 4 issue - Every presidential election is an exercise in hope and exaggeration. We hope "our" candidate's triumph will uplift the nation. But the usual campaign exaggerations may deceive and disillusion us. In two recent columns, I have tried to dampen unrealistic expectations on the issue of jobs.

Feds may shut Med Center New Med Center dilemma
San Mateo County Times Sun, 26 Sep 2004 8:07 AM PDT
A federal agency plans to stop millions of dollars in payments to the Alameda County Medical Center on Nov. 10 -- a drastic step that would shut down the public hospital system -- unless it demonstrates marked improvements, agency officials said.

MINERS LOSE JOBS, HEALTH BENEFITS AT ZEIGLER 11
Southern Illinoisan Sun, 26 Sep 2004 6:00 AM PDT
COULTERVILLE -- The quickly dying Southern Illinois coal industry took another direct hit Saturday with the announcement by Horizon Natural Resources that production would cease at the Zeigler No. 11 Mine near Coulterville, a move that will send 250 union and salaried employees to the unemployment line.

Boom threatens American dream
Sun-Sentinel Mon, 20 Sep 2004 5:56 AM PDT
More Americans are becoming house-poor. It's an ugly downside of the soaring real estate market: Many of those who put a toe in the housing water are finding themselves unable to afford more than the basic necessities, unless they try to survive with a credit card lifestyle.

Indianapolis Athletic Club closes after 80 years
Fort Wayne News Channel 15 Fri, 17 Sep 2004 6:21 PM PDT
INDIANAPOLIS The Indianapolis Athletic Club has suspended operations because it owes too much money and doesn't have enough members. The club had been a fixture in downtown Indianapolis for 80 years. But in recent years, the club consistently lost money despite a cutback in staff and hours.

MITSUBISHI LAYOFFS (AP)
WAND
Fri, 17 Sep 2004 7:54 PM PDT
More than one-thousand union workers at Mitsubishi Motors' only U-S plant were handed layoff notices this week. The cutbacks at the plant in Normal in central Illinois were announced this summer. They're part of a global revival plan the company calls its last chance to survive as an automaker.

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