Signs of the Tines

Signs of the tines (read on to find out about the "tine-y" porcupine):

First, from Calculated Risk:

Friday, January 16, 2009

Layoffs: I read the news today, oh boy! (DoctoRx: About an unlucky man . . .)

by CalculatedRisk on 1/16/2009 05:33:00 PM

WSJ: Circuit City to Liquidate, Meaning 30,000 Job Losses

Bloomberg: GE Capital May Cut as Many as 11,000 Jobs This Year

WSJ: Pfizer to Cut Up to 2,400 Jobs

WSJ: Google Plans 100 Layoffs of Recruiters

AP: AMD to cut 1,100 workers, 9 pct of staff

Reuters: Hertz to cut more than 4,000 jobs

Bloomberg: WellPoint Cuts 1,500 Jobs, Blames ‘State of Economy’

AP: Blue Cross Blue Shield to cut up to 1,000 jobs

Tampa Bay Business Journal: Report: Layoffs looming at Clear Channel

Clicking on some of these links provides more bad news. Google is also closing some engineering offices. Two days ago, GE Aviation (jet engines) announced that it planned to eliminate over 1000 salaried jobs.

In addition, consider the following: Layoffs at wind turbine and solar parts manufacturers described in a NY Times article today.

Oil layoffs begin (Williston Herald)January 16, 2009 – 11:11 am About 150 people are no longer working for Nabors Drilling USA in Williston as falling oil prices have produced layoffs that are likely to expand.

Seattle has a more or less weekly layoff update, it appears. Click on the link for gory details if you want to listen to a brief audio report.

As an ex- New Yorker and animal-lover, the saddest layoffs relate to the following (from the Gothamist):

Bronx Zoo, NY Aquarium Face Layoffs

"There's more bad news for New York's animals, and the humans that take care of them: The Daily News is reporting that Bronx Zoo and New York aquarium staffs are facing layoffs in light of the proposed budget cuts. "As many as 130 staffers could be laid off," they told the paper, who reiterates that "The Wildlife Conservation Society, which runs the facilities, is facing $15 million in government funding cuts from its $103 million annual budget this year, and the state will cut off all funding in 2010." The layoffs will hit everyone (and the porcupine was already let go), from administration to sales to groundskeeping—sending both union and non-union employees to the unemployment office. The news was delivered to staff yesterday by WCS President Steven Sanderson, who told the paper that, in the end, if they can't afford to keep the animals, "then we have to try to find a better place for them."


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