I hear this a lot from co-workers and other acquaintances: "The news is just so depressing these days -- I hardly ever watch it or read the papers." It is easy to see where they are coming from with the recent acknowledgment that the United States has been in a recession since last December. I remain optimistic, but it gets more difficult as I read some of the headlines from the last few days.
- Tennessean eliminates 92 positions (67 laid off)
- Thomas Nelson eliminates 55 jobs
- Bridgestone to lay off 158 in La Vergne; may cut 500
The ugly side of the business bottom line always rears its ugly head around the holidays; many offices trim their work force just before Christmas to make sure the earnings-per-share numbers stay high. In past years, some of those laid off would jump to other jobs or take seasonal work at a retail outlet. Neither strategy looks viable this year. Couple that with some states running out of money for unemployment checks in the next year and you have a very dire situation.
Prayers and faith can help sooth the troubled mind, but right now we really need decisive action before the problem gets any more out of hand.