downturn

18 Stories

Posh Resort Offers $19 Empty Room —With Tent

(Newser) - A chic San Diego hotel is offering rooms for only $19 a night—without toiletries, towels, sheets, or a bed, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports. “It's our way of getting people here that might not normally come," says Rancho Bernardo Inn manager John Gates. Taken over by...

UK Billionaires' Ranks Halved in Downturn

Wealthiest lose collective $228B

(Newser) - The number of UK billionaires has been almost cut in half by economic woes, from 75 to 43, with the country’s wealthiest having lost a collective $228 billion, the Times of London reports. The hardest-hit was steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal, who remains Britain’s richest man despite having lost...

Iconic Depression Setting Makes Do Amid Recession

Could things get as bad for Sallisaw, Okla., as they did in the 1930s?

(Newser) - Many have made the parallel between the current economic slump and the Great Depression. Interested in pursuing the connection, Rafael Alvarez visited Sallisaw, Okla., an icon of the troubled 1930s as the setting of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath, he writes for the Christian Science Monitor. The downturn...

Brothel Battles Downturn with Flat-Rate Pass

Berlin club charges $90 for 'everything—ladies, drinks, and food'

(Newser) - A Berlin brothel is fighting world economic gloom with a special offer: a flat-rate, unlimited, all-access pass, Der Spiegel reports. For about $90, clients are free to get chummy with all the workers. Men can even bring their wives. “70 euros, that includes everything—ladies, drinks and food,”...

Will the Recession Drive Up Suicides?

We're better prepared now, but rates are still tied to cultural trends

(Newser) - America is reeling from the financial crisis, and the psychological strain has analysts carefully watching national suicide rates, Time reports. Though three high-profile European businessmen took their own lives recently, suicide rates have held steady at 11 per 100,000 people; during the Great Depression, they spiked at 17 per...

Starbucks Will Cut Back on Afternoon Decaf

(Newser) - This one ranks among the more unusual consequences of the slow economy: Those who drink decaffeinated coffee at Starbucks may have to wait longer for an afternoon fix. The company is going to stop brewing fresh pots of decaf every 30 minutes after noon because of low demand, Bloomberg reports....

Booming Mickey D's Plans European Surge

Global downturn? They're lovin' it

(Newser) - A rare beneficiary of the financial crisis, McDonald’s says it will build 240 new European locations and create 12,000 jobs, the Financial Times reports. The firm’s biggest expansion in 5 years will extend mainly to Spain, France, Italy, Russia, and Poland. “We’re certainly not slowing...

Worldwide Downturn Speeds Up Alarmingly

Analysts don't expect recovery in 2009

(Newser) - The global economy is in a faster decline than economists predicted only weeks ago, as the bursting of the biggest-ever real-estate bubble hits real economies in Europe and Asia, killing millions of jobs and shutting businesses, the Washington Post reports. Britain just posted its biggest quarterly slump since 1980, while...

Warner Bros. Slashing 10% of Workforce

600 workers to be laid off; 300 jobs to be outsourced

(Newser) - Even the Dark Knight is no match for this economy. Warner Bros. is cutting 800 jobs across all levels of the firm, shrinking its workforce by 10%, the Wall Street Journal reports. That means 600 employees will have to leave, with 300 departing in the next few weeks. The rest...

Media Frenzy Makes Recession Worse
 Media Frenzy Makes 
 Recession Worse 
OPINION
Dec 8, 2008 12:37 PM CST

Media Frenzy Makes Recession Worse

Sky isn't falling for many, but barrage 'crackling with panic' makes us feel that way

(Newser) - There’s no doubt the economy is bad. The of flood sky-is-falling news stories make that abundantly clear. But the avalanche of bad news—delivered faster than ever before through myriad, ever-present media outlets—has fed upon itself, sinking all of us into a deeper state of collective panic than...

US Jobs Picture Even Worse Than It Looks
 US Jobs Picture
 Even Worse Than It Looks 
ANALYSIS
Dec 5, 2008 1:45 PM CST

US Jobs Picture Even Worse Than It Looks

6.7% unemployment figure doesn't count those not working or looking for work

(Newser) - As bad as today’s jobs report seemed, it actually soft-pedals the US employment situation, David Leonhardt writes in the New York Times. In November, 251,000 workers lost their jobs, driving the unemployment rate to 6.7%. But “unemployed” describes only individuals actively looking for work, and the...

Cabbies Among First to See Ripples of Wall Street's Pain

Crashing markets mean fewer fares, smaller tips

(Newser) - New York cabbies will tell you that their jobs are indicative of overall health of the economy—so they’re getting hammered right now. New York looks at one driver’s experience with the bubble-and-bust of recent years, with the halcyon days of bankers tossing him $40 for a $2....

Avon Looks to Ailing Economy for Growth

(Newser) - Avon's cosmetic-toting army is growing as troubled economic times make door-knocking more attractive to women struggling to make ends meet, reports the Wall Street Journal.  Incentives including price cuts, gas vouchers, and advice from celebrity financier Suze Orman, helped attract 5% more sales reps in the second quarter of...

Darling: British Economy Is at 60-Year Low

UK economic chief bluntly warns of harder times ahead

(Newser) - The outlook for Britain's economy is the bleakest since the days when the country was rebuilding from the Blitz, Chancellor Alistair Darling tells the Guardian. Darling warns that the downturn for the UK and the wider world could be "more profound and longer-lasting" than people expect. He acknowledges that...

GM Will Cut Salaried Jobs, Benefits to Survive Slump

Company aims to cut costs to boost liquidity, cope with lower sales

(Newser) - General Motors will cut salaried jobs, accelerate factory closings, and eliminate health care coverage for many salaried retirees in order to raise $15 billion to survive the industry's deep downturn, the Wall Street Journal reports. GM will also suspend dividends, sell some assets, lower capital spending, and cut production of...

Tech Holds Ground Amid Slump
 Tech Holds Ground Amid Slump 
Jul 9, 2008 7:10 PM CDT

Tech Holds Ground Amid Slump

Growth slow, but still up; unemployment below average—no dot-com bust here

(Newser) - Despite malaise in most sectors of the economy, the technology industry is weathering the downturn well, USA Today reports. Sales are up only 3% this year over 2007—a mediocre result, considering the industry usually grows by more than 10%—but with tech unemployment at 3.9% compared to 5....

Even Vegas Is Down on Its Luck
 Even Vegas Is Down on Its Luck 
May 6, 2008 8:46 AM CDT

Even Vegas Is Down on Its Luck

Downturn starts to hit formerly recession-proof city

(Newser) - Tougher times are starting hit the Sunset Strip, the New York Times reports. Las Vegas has been mostly immune to downturns in decades past, but this time the gambling mecca is feeling the pinch as consumers tighten their belts. Hundreds of casino workers have already been laid off, and a...

Most Economists Say Recession Is Here

WSJ poll sees big shift toward the negative from survey five weeks ago

(Newser) - A cascade of bleak financial news has convinced most economists in a Wall Street Journal poll that the US is already in a recession. The results are markedly more negative than a similar survey only five weeks ago, and much of the foul mood can be traced to last week’...

18 Stories