Mike: Good day to all.  The stimulus bill is signed and you can keep track of how the billions are being spent at http://www.recovery.gov/
Highlights
Housing starts in January plunged again but the permits data—while worsening—were not as severe, suggesting that maybe some of the weakness was weather related. Starts continued to freefall in January with a 16.8 percent decline, following a 14.5 percent plummet in December. The January pace of 0.466 million units annualized was down 56.2 percent year-on-year and came in well below the market forecast for 0.530 million units. The drop in starts was led by the multifamily component which fell a hefty 27.9 percent while the single-family component fell 12.2 percentBloomberg.com: Economic Calendar.
Mike: Today is housing day for Obama and many a plan is being discussed. Below is one that is being considered:

Under the Boston Fed plan, taxpayers would cover between a quarter and a half of mortgages for homeowners who lose their jobs. The aid would last up to two years or until new employment was secured, whichever comes first. This ad hocnational unemployment insurance would cost $50.0 billion, assuming that 3.5 million homeowners got in on it.

via America’s New Housing Problem: Unemployment – Forbes.com.

 

Mike: Just a note about fairness, which seems to be absent from this candy store plan of foreclosure elimination, in that those who put down a large down payment and therefore aren’t technically underwater, won’t get a free government handout? What about those who bought outside the bubble years and live next door to someone who did, should the non bubble buyer have to pay a higher interest rate because he is current on mortgage payments? How about the affect of home equity loans? What happens to those who are underwater, but have also handsomely profited from cashing home equity checks? Should they then be rewarded with lower payments? This entire bailout process makes anyone who pays their bills  and acts responsibly look like a fool for doing so

Headlining the plan was a $75 billion Homeowner Stability Initiative, under which would provide incentives to lenders to cut monthly mortgage payments to sustainable levels. It defines this at no more than 31 percent of a homeowners income.

Another key component: a new program aimed at helping homeowners said to be “under water” — with dwellings whose value have sunk below the principal still owing on their mortgages. Such mortgages have traditionally been almost impossible to refinance. But the White House said its program will help 4 to 5 million families do just that.

via Obama to unveil $75 billion mortgage relief plan.

                        

 

 

Mike Luckovich - Feb 17

Mike Luckovich - Feb 17

 

 

Microsoft/Google/IBM and other Rumors & News

 

* “Rarely have we seen a concept so universally derided as Microsoft retail stores,” wrote the editors of blog MacDailyNews in response to my article las week. “Even Vista and Zune were better received. The fact that Microsoft is seriously considering retail stores is proof positive that the company’s ‘management’ has an unmeasurably over-inflated opinion of the company.” 

via This Is How Microsoft Beats Apple .

 

* In your gloomy Wednesday media column: More rumored Viacom layoffs today, Newsweek staffers are mad at the boss, Playboy might have to sell Playboy, and more!:

A tipster tells us that more layoffs are coming down at Viacom today: “They are cleaning house at VH1/MTV Linked Group right now. Like more than half the people involved with the website and the video just got laid off. HR is making appointments to call every freelancer this afternoon.” Skeery. If you have more info, email us.

via Media Crack: More Viacom Layoffs Today?.

 

General Economic News

 

[Report][Star]8:30 AM ET

Mike: Housing starts plummet:

 

* Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) — U.S. builders broke ground in January on the fewest houses on record as a lack of credit and plunging sales exacerbated the worst real-estate slump since the Great Depression.

Housing starts plunged 17 percent last month to an annual rate of 466,000, lower than projected, according to figures from the Commerce Department today in Washington. Building permits, a sign of future construction, also decreased.

via Bloomberg.com: Worldwide.

 

* Price declines for energy products and basic commodities pulled import prices down 1.1 percent in January, a significant rate but much less steep than prior months when prices fell as much as 7.3 percent in November.
Export prices, thanks to a rebound in agricultural prices, showed traction, up 0.5 percent vs. a run of prior declines. 
Redbook
[Report][Bullet
8:55 AM ET
* Retail sales continue to contract but are contracting at a slower rate, the good news from this week’s chain-store reports that include a -1.4% year-on-year rate from Redbook, an improvement from -1.7 and -2.5 percent rates in the two prior weeks. The report said warm weather helped give a lift to Valentine and Presidents Day sales.
* The Federal Reserve reported Wednesday that production at the nation’s factories, mines and utilities fell 1.8 percent last month. Many economists expected a 1.5 percent decline. It marked the third straight month where production was cut back and December’s performance was even weaker than initially reported, plunging 2.4 percent.

 

 

* Mike: Today, Obama, will unveil a housing plan that he hopes will stem the tide of foreclosures. While that may happen, the housing crisis will not improve because the rules keep changing. Most people and most markets like to know what the rules are before they commit to spending or investing hundreds of thousands of dollars. But with housing, the rules change from day to day and home prices continue to decline. Why in that type of environment would anyone want to buy a house and commit to that home for 30 years? Right now if you have stopped paying your mortgage, you are in many cases allowed to keep your home, while those that keep paying their mortgage wonder why they still have to pay. The system continues to crank out plans that reward banks, insurance companies, auto firms, and poor mortgage risks by using the money of the responsible to accomplish that dream. This housing plan looks like another handout that will only prolong the crisis since, but I hope it does help the few that were placed into a burdensome loan fraudulently.

* The ambitious plan he was announcing at a Phoenix high school Wednesday was expected to offer government cash to mortgage companies that reduce interest rates — and therefore monthly payments — for homeowners in danger of default, according to several people briefed on the plan. What remained unclear was how the government will decide who qualifies for relief.

– One Democratic official familiar with the plan said it also would allow homeowners to refinance their mortgages if they owed more than their homes were valued. Still another section would give bankruptcy judges more authority to change mortgages. That last provision has been opposed by lenders, who said it would add risk and lead to higher interest rates.

via Obama plan seeks to save millions from foreclosure – Yahoo! Finance.

 

* The recovery package has tax breaks for families that send a child to college, purchase a new car, buy a first home or make the ones they own more energy efficient.

Millions of workers can expect to see about $13 extra in their weekly paychecks, starting around June, from a new $400 tax credit to be doled out through the rest of the year. Couples would get up to $800. In 2010, the credit would be about $7.70 a week, if it is spread over the entire year.

via The Associated Press: How government stimulus plan will affect you.

 

Mike: I respected Patterson at one point, but with each passing day he shows his inability to comprehend the economic problems of his state. I wonder what goes through these guy’s heads when they are sitting around their mahogany conference tables discussing raises for personnel while the economy crumbles beneath their feet? NY is about $50 billion in debt and it punishes it’s residents with brutal property and income taxes, but they seem to have enough cash on hand to spread some love to lifelong bureaucrats who are overpaid as it is:

* ALBANY – Gov. David A. Paterson is taking heat from public employee unions that say he should be ashamed of giving pay raises to his inner circle during a fiscal crisis.

Paterson, however, said yesterday the $250,000 in salary increases spread among some staff members is part of a net cut in executive chamber pay because he eliminated some jobs and cut executive branch spending 10 percent overall.

via Paterson under fire for staff pay raises — Newsday.com.

 

 

Rob Rogers - Feb 18

Rob Rogers - Feb 18

Mike: They had to conduct a poll to determine this?

* WASHINGTON (AP) — Fears are mounting about losing a job, not having enough money to pay the bills and evaporating retirement accounts, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll released Wednesday. Nearly half of those surveyed said they worry about becoming unemployed — almost double last year’s number.

The poll also found that in the past month, public support has dipped slightly for the $787 billion package of tax cuts and government spending that President Barack Obama signed into law this week on the promise that it will save or create 3.5 million jobs and re-ignite the troubled economy.

via Poll finds public stressed out over economy – Yahoo! Finance.

 

Municipal News

 

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger sent layoff warnings to 20,000 state workers Tuesday and prepared to shut down public works projects as budget negotiations dragged on Tuesday afternoon.

A budget deal to cover the state’s expected $41 billion shortfall through June 2010 is being negotiated in the Legislature. The governor and legislative leaders were approaching a deal Tuesday, but as of 3 p.m. no vote had been scheduled.

via Schwarzenegger shuts down projects, sends layoff warnings as budget talks lag on – Pacific Business News (Honolulu): .

 

* MANSFIELD — Nearly 120 municipal workers could be laid off unless officials find creative ways to cut costs and balance the City of Mansfield’s 2009 budget, union officials learned Tuesday.

via Mansfield could lay off 119 city workers | mansfieldnewsjournal.com | Mansfield News Journal.

 

* FOLEY — Citing the slow economy that has reduced workloads in some departments, city officials said Monday that nine municipal positions will be cut.

via Foley to cut nine jobs – al.com.

 

* SAN BERNARDINO – Fiscal troubles kept the City Council working late into Tuesday night before members voted 4-1 to approve budget cuts that include 55 layoffs.

via SB council approves budget cuts, 55 layoffs – Redlands Daily Facts .

 

* Uniontown City Council on Tuesday furloughed 10 employees including four firemen and the last remaining street and sewage department workers in its continuing effort to reduce expenses.

via The Herald Standard – City Council lays off 10 more employees.

 

* The St. Paul School District sent letters to 46 teachers at three struggling schools last week, telling them that they’re being reassigned to other jobs in the district.

via 46 teachers at 3 St. Paul schools reassigned.

 

* PROVIDENCE — Woonsocket officials warned the city’s two public safety unions yesterday that if they don’t agree to substantive concessions on pay or benefits, they will lay off about 40 of the community’s 101 police officers and 55 to 60 of its 135 firefighters, possibly by the end of the week.

via Woonsocket warns police, fire unions: It’s concessions or layoffs | projo.com | The Providence Journal Woonsocket | .

 

* Lodi Unified School District Trustees on Tuesday night approved the elimination of 390 full-time certificated jobs as well as seven administration jobs.

via Recordnet.com: Lodi schools cut 390 staff, seven administrators (10:33 a.m.).

 

* SPRINGFIELD – Springfield will lay off 89 workers to deal with a $4.8 million cut in state funding.

Mayor Domenic Sarno said Wednesday the cuts include eliminating 44 jobs in public works, 17 in the library department and 12 from the parks department.

via Springfield to lay off 89 to deal with aid cut – BostonHerald.com.

 

 

Steve Kelley - Feb 17

Steve Kelley - Feb 17

 

 

US and some Canada News

 

gm19In a dramatic acknowledgment that conditions in the U.S. auto industry have grown significantly worse in just two months, GM alone said it would cut 47,000 jobs globally by the end of the year — 19 percent of its work force. It also said it would close five more U.S. factories, although it did not identify them.

chrysler4Chrysler said it will cut 3,000 more jobs and stop producing three vehicle models.

via The Associated Press: GM, Chrysler seek billions more, to cut more jobs.

 

goodyear* Goodyear Tire said it will cut almost 5,000 jobs. Goodyear is also cutting capacity an additional 15-25M units, cutting Capex to $700-$800 million and cutting inventory levels by more than $500 million.

via StreetInsider.com – Goodyear Tire (GT) Reports Large Q4 Loss; Cutting 5K Jobs.

 

goodyear1* Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co posted a deeper-than-expected quarterly loss on Wednesday under the global economic slowdown and said it would cut 5,000 jobs worldwide, or 6.7 percent of its staff.

 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbxL92AClp4&eurl=http://news.google.com/news?rlz=1C1GGLS_enUS291US303&sourceid=chrome&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wn&q=]

 

transcontinental1* Commercial printer Transcontinental Inc is slashing 1,500 jobs — or about 10 percent of its workforce — as a “rapid deterioration” of the economy forces its customers to cut back on marketing spending, it said on Wednesday.

via UPDATE 2-Transcontinental cuts 1,500 jobs to reduce costs | Reuters .

 

transcontinental2* Canada’s largest printer, Transcontinental Inc., today said that it will slash about 1500 jobs and implement “substantive cost-cutting measures” throughout North America.

 

* GREAT BEND, Kan. (AP) – A Kansas meatpacking plant in Great Bend says it will close down in July and move production to other facilities.

About 275 hourly and salaried employees of Great Bend Packing will lose their jobs. The meatpacking plant is owned by John Morrell & Co., a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods.

via NTV – KHGI/KWNB/WSWS-CA – Where your news comes first. –  Kan. meatpacking plant closing, 275 jobs lost.

 

* NEW RIEGEL, Ohio – Farmland Foods, Inc. announced today that it would shift spiral ham production to other facilities and close its New Riegel, Ohio plant in April of this year.

The plant closure will affect approximately 230 hourly and salaried employees. The company will offer transfers to other facilities to some salaried employees.

via WTOL.com, Toledo’s News Leader, News 11 | Farmland Foods to close New Riegel plant.

 

* PLANT CITY, Fla. (AP) – A Smithfield Foods meat-packing plant in Plant City is closing and laying off more than 700 workers.

The central Florida operation is among six plants the company plans to close nationwide.

via WWSB ABC 7 Florida | Plant City meat-packing plant to close.

 

* “We had no idea this was going to happen,” Sandy Eller told The News Herald’s news partner, WSOC-TV. Eller worked at Bauer for 14 years.

“It just blew my mind the way it happened,” Eller said.

Chuck Brown, manager of the North Carolina Employment Security Commission office in Morganton, said Bauer employed 40 people at its Hildebran plant, 205 Cline Drive.

via Hildebran plant gives workers short notice of closing.

 

* At one time, Reliable Corporation based in Geneva employed 800. We’re being told by those who work there that fellow employees have been receiving their lay-off notices.

Reliable Corporation has been manufacturing pre-fabricated metal products for more than 50 years. Over recent days, News 4 has received several calls from those who’ve been laid-off.

via Local prefabricated metal manufacture layoff workers / News 4, WTVY Marketplace .

 

* Team spokesman Charlie Dayton said Tuesday that the Panthers have laid off approximately 20 employees. That number does not include longtime director of player development Donnie Shell, who announced his retirement.

via Carolina Panthers lay off about 20 employees – USATODAY.com.

 

* KIMBERLY — The market-related layoff of 63 workers at Appleton Coated LLC could conceivably last for a protracted period, but affected workers will retain their jobs.

via Appleton Coated jobs cut | Postcrescent.com | Appleton Post-Crescent.

 

* Feb. 18 (Bloomberg) — Honda Motor Co., confronting the first quarterly loss in at least 15 years, will scale back plans to make business jets and may offer voluntary retirements in the U.S. for the first time as it slashes costs.

The company will produce 70 to 80 jets a year for delivery from the end of 2010, compared with an earlier plan to make 100 planes a year, Chief Executive Officer Takeo Fukui said in an interview on Feb.

via Bloomberg.com: Exclusive

 

* Champion Laboratories, Inc. in Albion announced Monday that approximately 70 office and plant personnel were laid off recently due to the economic crisis facing the US.

via Daily Republican Register.

 

* Hydro-Air Components has cut 24 jobs at its South Buffalo plant in the second round of employment reductions in four months by the commercial heating and cooling equipment manufacturer.

via Hydro-Air cuts 24 jobs : Business : The Buffalo News.

 

* The Western New York Public Broadcasting Association has announced a 10 percent staff reduction and across-the-board salary cuts.

via WNED eliminates jobs, makes pay cuts – Business First of Buffalo: .

 

* Feb. 18–Automotive air bag manufacturer Autoliv, one of the largest employers in the state, has laid off 250 Utah workers within the past two weeks as it struggles to deal with the sharp downturn in the auto industry and the nation’s economy.

via Autoliv Layoffs Hit Utah: 5 Plants ? 250 Workers Lose Jobs, While Others Face Furloughs. .

 

* In December, Shape Corp. announced plans to lay off 400 workers, it was the first time in company history that they were forced to make cuts. The good news is that many of those workers were eventually brought back, but on Tuesday there was more bad news for employees at the Grand Haven plant.

 

Employees at Shape Corp. told Newschannel 3 that what they thought were temporary layoffs are now permanent and that company leaders told them they were fired.

via Temporary layoffs made permanent in Ottawa County | WWMT NEWSCHANNEL 3.

 

* One of the Charlottesville region’s largest employers is temporarily laying off half its workforce.

GE Fanuc Intelligent Platforms, which is headquartered in Albemarle County, confirmed Tuesday that roughly 300 of its 600 workers will be furloughed for two weeks beginning next week.

via GE plans worker furloughs | Charlottesville Daily Progress.

 

* Workers at the SAS (San Antonio Shoe) Factory in Conway are losing their jobs in the months ahead. The layoffs impact 145 people.

via Conway Shoe Factory Shutting Down.

 

* The Home Depot Inc. will close its two HD Bath branches in the Kansas City area, eliminating jobs for 130 employees, a spokeswoman said Tuesday.

via Home Depot will close two HD Bath branches in Kansas City, cut 130 jobs – Kansas City Business Journal: .

 

* Denver — Canada’s Intrawest Corp. laid off more corporate employees this week, with most of the cuts coming at its Vancouver headquarters and a few jobs being eliminated at its regional office in Golden.

Intrawest spokesman Ian Galbraith confirmed the additional layoffs Tuesday, but he declined to say exactly how many workers lost their jobs.

via The Steamboat Pilot & Today: More job cuts at Intrawest.

 

* Layoffs hit yet another major employer in Owatonna.Exercise Equipment maker Cybex reporting that it is laying off 20 employees.

via 20 Employees Laid Off From Cybex | keyc.tv.

 

* MOUNT PLEASANT, Wis. – Ruud Lighting has laid off about 50 of its nearly 600 workers.

President and chief executive officer Alan Ruud says sales have dropped with the collapse of the construction industry. He says the company is restructuring and the layoffs are considered permanent.

via Ruud Lighting lays off about 8 percent of workers — chicagotribune.com.

 

* Hamilton Sundstrand laid off 47 hourly employees in mechanical operations this week, two months after the United Technologies Corp. division eliminated a similar number of hourly jobs through a voluntary buyout.

via Hamilton Lays Off 47 In Mechanical Operations — Courant.com.

 

* ORKS TWP. | Crayola LLC laid off 30 workers at its corporate office Tuesday as part of a restructuring plan.

via Crayola lays off 30 at Forks Township headquarters – lehighvalleylive.com.

 

* The News-Journal Corp. laid off nine employees in its news department Tuesday as part of a continuing effort to cut costs while negotiations continue with an unnamed prospective buyer.

via Business & Technology – newsjournalonline.com.

 

* OWEGO – Sanmina-SCI Corp. laid off about 25 workers Friday in another round of cutbacks at its Owego printed circuit board plant, according to the state Labor Department.

via Sanmina lays off 25 more Owego workers | pressconnects.com | Press & Sun-Bulletin.

 

* Ingram Micro (IM) today laid off about 8% of the distribution company’s North American workforce, resulting in the loss of about 300 jobs, according the Web site ChannelWeb. According to the report, the company cut 100 jobs in Williamsville, New York, 50 in Canada, and 150 at its Santa Ana, California campus and other U.S. locations.

via Tech Trader Daily – Barron’s Online : Ingram Micro Cuts 300 Jobs; Earnings Wednesday.

 

* The once fast-growing company has trimmed costs as shoppers pare back spending on organic food and look for cheaper alternatives. It laid off 30 workers last week, with the cuts split between its Santa Rosa operations and its Medford, Ore., plant.

via Amy’s Kitchen lays off 30; East Coast plant on hold | PressDemocrat.com | The Press Democrat | Santa Rosa, CA.

 

* The troubles at Anderson News in Knoxville, Tenn., continue to mount in the wake of its attempt to get an additional 7¢-per-copy surcharge from magazine publishers. Late last week the wholesaler laid off employees from its magazine distribution offices, information technology group and Prologix, a joint venture with News Group.

via Anderson Lays Off Employees; Source Sues – 2/18/2009 8:18:00 AM – Publishers Weekly.

 

* The memo, signed by UVM President Dan Fogel, says phase one of the school’s budget cuts will be completed this week and that part of the cuts will include layoffs. The memo does not say how many jobs teh school plans to elliminate.

via UVM Layoffs, Budget Cuts Coming Friday – News Story – WPTZ Plattsburgh.

 

* Update: Scientific testing equipment maker Agilent Technologies Inc. said it plans to cut 600 jobs, or about 3 percent of its work force, after disappointing first-quarter financials.

via Agilent to cut 600 jobs – Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:

 

* Title insurer Fidelity National Title Insurance, which last year bought the remnants of struggling competitor LandAmerica, has since cut 13 jobs across the state.

via Fidelity National cuts 13 jobs in N.C. after buying LandAmerica units – Triangle Business Journal: .

 

* WATERLOO — More than 100 people were laid off at Omega Cabinetry’s Waterloo plant Tuesday.

Company officials cited the nationwide downturn in home construction for the layoffs. More than 800 workers will remain at the plant, according to a company statement. Wooden kitchen cabinets are manufactured at the plant. since the construction slowdown and recession, demand for the items has fallen, company officials said.

via WCFcourier.com – Waterloo and Cedar Falls Iowa News Homepage | Business » Local.

 

* Rattikin Title Co., a family-owned Fort Worth business that specializes in residential and commercial title-insurance services, has laid off 12 employees in the wake of the downturn in the real estate markets.

via Rattikin Title lays off 12 workers | Business | Star-Telegram.com.

 

* OTTAWA COUNTY — Bad news came in waves for Ottawa County’s economy Tuesday.

First, Shape Corp. in Grand Haven announced it is cutting 230 jobs, nearly 20 percent of its work force.

Then, Nicholas Plastics LLC announced it would close its Allendale Township plant at 11700 48th Ave. within 60 days, starting layoffs of its 103 employees as soon as this week.

via Shape Corp., Nicholas Plastics shed 333 automotive jobs – West Michigan Business News – MLive.com.

 

* Huntington Bancshares Inc. said Wednesday that it has begun notifying employees affected by the 500 jobs it’s cutting by early next month.

via Huntington begins job cuts outlined in plan – Business First of Columbus: .

 

* Delta Air Lines Inc., the world’s biggest carrier, said Wednesday that more than 2,100 employees have offered to take severance payouts to leave the company as part of its latest job cutting effort.

via Delta says over 2,100 offer to take severance – BusinessWeek.

 

* Harvard is quietly planning to lay off some subcontracted custodians in an effort to reduce operating costs, drawing consternation from union organizers who represent University workers.

 

 

International News

 

* Brembo, possibly the best known name in brakes, has announced plans to temporarily lay off 1,840 workers, as the on-going decline of the auto industry sees demand for Brembo’s products dropping off.

via White And Blue Collar Layoffs Announced By Brembo.

 

French retail and luxury group PPR (PRTP.PA) on Wednesday unveiled plans to cut 1,200 jobs at its Conforama home furnishing arm and FNAC shop chain.

 

* An Auckland boat building company, renowned for building world class racing yachts, is laying off its entire workforce.

Cookson Boats has no future work booked and when their current projects are finished, there will be nothing left for the 62 staff members to do.

via Boat builder laying off entire workforce – Newstalk ZB.

 

* THE economy of the North-east was dealt a hammer blow yesterday with the announcement that Aberdeenshire’s last paper mill is to close with the loss of more than 370 jobs.

via Blow to Inverurie as paper mill closes with loss of 370 jobs – Scotsman.com News .

 

* Local arm of embattled US car maker, General Motors South Africa (GMSA), had started a consultation process with the National Union of Metalworkers of South Africa to potentially reduce the company head-count by a further 400 people, said GMSA spokesperson Denise van Huyssteen in a statement released on Wednesday.

via GMSA to cut 400 more jobs.

 

More than 100 people working at the Husky Injection Molding Systems plant in Dudelange are expected to lose their jobs, according to local media reports.

via The Station Network.

 

* South Africa’s Solidarity trade union said on Wednesday agricultural services group Afgri (AFRJ.J) plans to lay off about 22 percent of its production division workers by March, citing poor turnover in the company.

via UPDATE 1-SAfrica’s Afgri to lay off 352 workers – union | Global Industries | Autos & Transport | Reuters .

 

ISABEL Development Company (IDC) plans to lay off part of its workforce in April in an exercise aimed at reforming the company.

via solomonstarnews.com – Isabel to lay off workers.

 

One of the UK’s biggest egg suppliers said it was closing its Devon packing factory with the loss of about 80 jobs.

via BBC NEWS | UK | England | Devon | Egg packing factory is to close.

 

* THE Tasmanian public service is bracing for hundreds of jobs in state departments to disappear over the next two years.

 

Hiring News

 

*  Nordstrom Inc., the Seattle-based chain of department stores, said it plans to hire 240 local employees for its store at Northshore Mall in Peabody.

via Nordstrom looks to hire 240 for Peabody store – Daily Business Update – The Boston Globe.

 

* OGDEN » Times are tough for jobseekers in Utah, but at least one agency is ready to take on some temporary hires.

The U.S. Forest Service is hiring wild land firefighters for the season, which runs from May through September.

via Forest Service hiring summer firefighters – Salt Lake Tribune .

 

* There’s no job security, and the pay won’t make you rich, but the Census Bureau might be a short-term answer to your employment problems.

The Census Bureau will be putting 145,000 people on the streets nationwide by the start of April. At least 4,000 positions will need to be filled this year in Washington.

via Census Bureau in Seattle is hiring – MyNorthwest.com.

 

Mike: A very busy day for layoff announcements and economic reports. Tomorrow’s most important number will be  jobless claims at 8:30 EST. Until tomorrow, a laugh or two. ………..

 

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John Darkow - Feb 16

John Darkow - Feb 16

 

 

 

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