Jun

18

Obama memorandum passes on benefits to some gay partners

Posted by Dan

June 18, 2009 | Leave a Comment

There’s still a long way to go, but Pres. Obama at least take one small step toward recognizing that gay couples are every bit as legitimate as straight ones yesterday.
Obama signed a memorandum on Wednesday that extends benefits to the same-sex partners of federal employees.
According to a New York Times story, this move comes after [...]

Jun

16

Nursing industry suffering from lack of instructors

Posted by Dan

June 16, 2009 | Leave a Comment

My sister works as a pediatric nurse. It’s a stressful job. She works with kids who have cancer, and that all too often ends sadly.
I know, then, how important nurses are to patients. They provide much of the important caring for patients. Doctors get the glory; nurses do most of the dirty work.
Unfortunately, many states [...]

Jun

15

Mandatory corporate workshops: Aren’t we all stressed for time?

Posted by Dan

June 15, 2009 | Leave a Comment

This week, the publishing company where I work is forcing employees to attend a mandatory hour-and-a-half sexual-harrassment workshop. And here I thought we were actually busy here thanks to all the layoffs we’ve suffered.
Sexual harrassment is a big issue, and a huge problem. But, I’m not sure that forcing employees to attend a 90-minute workshop [...]

Jun

12

Interested in working in a struggling field? Go for it

Posted by Dan

June 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I’m working on a story for a major newspaper’s Jobs section. It’s an interesting one, taking a look at people who are entering certain career fields even though those fields are struggling mightily.
I’ve spoken to real estate agents and mortgage lenders, for instance. Both of these fields are going through tough times today. You can [...]

Jun

8

Obama promises more than 600,000 new jobs

Posted by Dan

June 8, 2009 | Leave a Comment

The unemployment rate for the nation is now above 9 percent. That’s pretty awful. Pres. Barack Obama isn’t happy about this, either. After all, high unemployment figures are keeping the economy from recovering.
Today, Obama promised that the $787 billion stimulus plan will result in more than 600,000 new jobs this summer.
Federal agencies are expected to [...]

Jun

4

Rising healthcare costs, unemployment a double whammy

Posted by Dan

June 4, 2009 | Leave a Comment

It’s hard enough on people that unemployment rates are at record levels across the country. They also have to deal with rising health-care costs.
The Los Angeles Times today ran a story that pointed out what’s painfully obvious to most of us: Medical bills are pushing more families toward financial ruin.
The Times story cites a Harvard University [...]

May

26

What are you resorting to in this down economy?

Posted by Dan

May 26, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I used to scoff at freelance writers who would take crummy assignments for low pay. It seemed demeaning to me. Writers are professionals, and we should be paid like it.
Well, these scoffing days are now officially over. For the last two weeks, I’ve joined the ranks of what are known as online content writers. Think [...]

May

25

Back to the land of garage sales and no jobs

Posted by Dan

May 25, 2009 | Leave a Comment

This Memorial Day weekend, I traveled back to Southwest Michigan to visit my wife’s parents. It’s always an experience traveling to Michigan: In April, the unemployment rate in Michigan hit 12.9 percent. That was the worst in the nation.
So it’s a bit depressing traveling to Southwest Michigan. The state is in terrible shape, and this [...]

May

22

Does misery love company? Not when it comes to job losses

Posted by Dan

May 22, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I hate hearing from my neighbors or friends about their job struggles.
As a freelance writer, I’m struggling to meet my monthly financial goals. My print-magazine clients are all going out of business or cutting back on their budget for freelance writers. The online sources I’ve replaced them with pay far, far less.
This means I’m working [...]

May

20

And what am I doing during the downturn?

Posted by Dan

May 20, 2009 | Leave a Comment

I’ve written a lot about how other folks are holding onto their careers — or not — during the economic downturn. But I’ve not shared a whole lot about how the economy is hitting me, and what I’m doing about it.
So here’s a little bit: Before the recession, I specialized in writing about residential real [...]

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