economy

Not all 30somethings mired in miasma of gloom

By adamg - 3/8/09 - 12:09 pm

There's C.C. Chapman right in the second paragraph of the Globe's big story on how the recession is particularly hurting 30somethings; in fact, it calls them the least hopeful generation. Chapman reports mixed feelings on his above-the-foldness:

... What bothers me is while the article got all the facts right, it feels to me as if it is an overly negative article. Just look at the sub-headline which in my mind is completely false. Yes, me and my roommates (and others our age) have all been through some rough times and are going through them right now along with everyone else, but all of us were very optimistic and up beat when we did the interviews. All four of us in the article are actually very hopeful. ...

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Menino: 700 layoffs coming if teachers, firefighters and cops don't agree to wage freeze

By adamg - 3/6/09 - 4:35 pm

The Globe reports on his speech this morning.

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Layoffs coming at Beth Israel

By adamg - 3/6/09 - 10:57 am

Beth Israel Deaconess CEO Paul Levy explains why: Basically, the shrinking economy is now affecting even hospitals.

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Financial brinksmanship at City Hall: Layoff notices to go out next week

By adamg - 3/3/09 - 4:19 pm

Most city unions are refusing to accept wage freezes, so Tom Menino plans to announce specific layoff and service cutback plans next week, the Globe reports.

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Unemployment agrees with her

By adamg - 2/27/09 - 2:37 pm

Aside from that tiny voice inside her head warning the money's going to run out fairly soon, Sassy Sundry reports she's just like those people in that Globe story: She's enjoying her forced time off:

... My life has a natural rhythm to it these days. I get up without an alarm clock. I stay in my jammies long past when it is proper. The Great American Novel this blog ain't, but these scribbles represent the first writing I have done in over a year. I've been cooking real food again, with joy instead of begrudging necessity. I made bread this week! Last week I cooked dinner for Date, and yesterday I had my sister and nephew over for lunch. Sure I also spent Tuesday working on my resume and sending out applications (I can't be completely impractical), but I've also spent a lot of time imagining how my life could be. Because if I am really honest with myself, if I could get away with it, I would never work in an office again. ...

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The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation does more than just sponsor shows on 'BUR

By adamg - 2/26/09 - 3:55 pm

The foundation today announced it's committing $4.5 million to help preserve affordable housing in Massachusetts.

Part of the money will go to the Community Economic Development Assistance Corporation to coordinate federal and state aid for affordable-housing projects, and part will go into the Masschusetts Preservation Loan Fund, which will loan out money to developers who agree to keep their rents down for at least 30 years. The foundation sees preservation of existing housing stock as critical, because it costs a lot less than building new units.

Citizens Bank, Fidelity trending down

By adamg - 2/25/09 - 9:45 am

The Boston Business Journal reports on staggering losses at the parent companies of Massachusetts's second-largest retail bank and big hits to Fidelity's bottom line.

Watchdog agency: City should get older workers to retire

By adamg - 2/24/09 - 10:41 am

The Boston Finance Commission thinks the city can save money by offering early retirement to workers getting up in years - and forcing workers on extended leave to either quit or go back to work, the Herald reports.

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If the librarian looks a bit frazzled

By adamg - 2/23/09 - 11:07 am

Nancy Pearl Wannabe is a school librarian in a Boston-area town that is, like everybody else, grappling with budget issues:

... During the day I am usually pretty calm about it but there's no stopping my subconscious from horrible anxiety dreams where I am at a town meeting and they tell all the teachers to line up and then yell "HA HA, THAT'S THE UNEMPLOYMENT LINE!" and then all the townspeople turn into zombies and eat our brains. ...

Always look on the bright side of life

By adamg - 2/21/09 - 10:29 am

Stever Robbins sees a bright side to bank failures:

Maybe they'll free up some Harvard Square store fronts for... stores.

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A gentle suggestion for Michael Flaherty

By adamg - 2/18/09 - 5:22 pm

Hire somebody to proofread your press releases before you post them, because otherwise, somebody who wants to read what you wrote to the state's new stimulus czar might get too distracted by all the mistakes to pay any attention. Also? When talking about large sums of money, it might make sense to provide some specifics on how you'd spend it, rather than just saying the state should give Boston lots of money because schools and crime fighting are good. But maybe that's just me.

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Who knew podcasts and blogs were shovel ready?

By adamg - 2/18/09 - 12:16 pm

There's good news for Web consultants in the state's list of shovel-ready projects for the new federal stimulus program: More than $12 million worth of Web projects - including a Web project to track state shovel-ready projects (download an Excel spreadsheet showing all the projects - which actually shows even better news for general IT consultants).

Among the shovel-ready Web work: A $1-million upgrade of Massvacation.com:

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Harvard tries to cut the fat

By adamg - 2/18/09 - 10:42 am

The Crimson reports that one way academic departments are trying to cut costs is to eliminate catered meals at department meetings. In response, the Harvard dining-services division that caters many of these meals has begun slashing the prices it charges departments:

... Faculty members were advised in an e-mail to bring their own lunch, "but some people didn't read to the bottom of the e-mail," she said. Those who did not pack a lunch found themselves sharing a banana with their colleagues, Cohen said. ...

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It's not too late to take that heart-shaped box of chocolates back

By adamg - 2/13/09 - 10:23 pm

And do what Lindsay Murdock is doing: Using the money to help local families by donating to Small Can Be Big, which connects local families in the Boston area with specific needs with people willing to help them out.

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Another Boston union agrees to wage freeze

By adamg - 2/13/09 - 10:19 pm

The union representing emergency-medical workers will forego raises this year, making it the third municipal union to agree to Tom Menino's plan for avoiding layoffs, the Globe reports.

Harvard seeks to eliminate 1,600 jobs

By adamg - 2/13/09 - 10:40 am

Harvard? Yes, Harvard.

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... They're doing a story about people who have changed their shopping and cooking habits since the recession really took hold. That would be me. I'm so much more careful about what I buy, and we hardly have any packaged foods at all in the house anymore. We've been using up what we can from our pantry, but looking forward I can't see us buying too much in the way of anything packaged besides cereal. Because my son lives on cereal as a snack, and the food pantry we use tends to bring us 4 boxes a month. ...