Please share...how is the economy affecting your area?

[dixiegrrrrl]

Somebody posted yesterday a video of a guy showing 153 pages of foreclosure ads in the Detroit Free Press.
Someone else talked about kids unable to afford Secret Santa program at school.
Someone else shared some Michigan kids cannot play outside because they have no mittens and caps, which are required for recess.

It is information like this that really tells the story, a story which is not showing up on MSM.

Yesterday my forester pal told me 6 more pulp and newsprint mills are closing in our area.
These are fairly local mills.
No body is buying timber.
I notice that because there are very few logging trucks on the road now.
80% of the timber in our state is privately owned, support families and communities.

What is changing where you live? ( and would you mind naming the state, at least, if not the area???)

[sellitman]

1. I am among the unemployed.

That's all I need to know.

One month now.

I was in sales for the Building industry.

It is decimated!

[lapfog_1]

15. Two months for me... and I'm still waiting my very first (in my life)

unemployment check. I'm 52.

[sellitman]

27. I received mine this week. I had 4 weeks of severance pay.

Same age as you too.

[damntexdem]

16. North Texas has yet to be hit hard.

Jobs are still being created, although unemployment is up.

Houses are still being built, though housing prices are down.

The area is still rapidly growing.

But have no fear -- the general depression will get to us, too, unless Obama can start to turn things around.

[ananda]

2. Here in Austin..

.. development is down and the economy
is slowing down. The job market is
shrinking a bit, too.

The depression hasn't hit hard, though,
as it has in some places.

Texas as a whole also seems to be doing
better than most states as well... but
foreclosures are up and people are tightening
belts and hunkering down.

[Warpy]

3. I just went to Wally's for my one cheap scrip there

that nobody else in town does on the cheap. The parking lot was no more full than it usually is on a Friday morning the rest of the year. Lines at the checkout were long, but there was only one cart with a big box in it. Everybody else was buying food.

I'd say that's pretty good evidence that people are cutting back to nearly nothing right now.

The Big Lots and Dollar Store lots were pretty full, though.

[BOSSHOG]

4. In a perverse way

South Mississippi is doing pretty good thanks to Katrina and the influx of federal funds and the never ending building industry. The state is talking about cutbacks, and our property tax just went up about 20% from last year but so far so good. Gas from Kiln to Slidell is about 1.59 (except for on the interstate.) Real Estate sales are not robust but not down, prices slightly stagnant, car sales doing relatively good.

[high density]

5. The parent company of the office I work at has downsized us by 20%

It's "only" a few people but there seems to be no concern with the talent and knowledge that's walking out the door. That stuff just doesn't instantly come back when the economy recovers.

[ramapo]

6. North Jersey

Restaurants are not as busy.

Animals are being turned in at shelters as their owners lose their homes.

Food banks (serving affluent communities) are busier than ever.

Malls are still crowded but are people buying?

Everybody is nervous about their job and/or company.

The sheriff's notices (foreclosures) make up many pages of the classified advertising in the local paper.

The classified section of the paper is the smallest I've ever seen, just a handful of pages.

Two small companies in our office building have closed up in the past couple of months.

Our clients are cutting the rates we charge for our consultants and implementing 2-4 weeks breaks in service. So we get no revenue. Some projects cancelled. Not good. Expertise that was hard to find a few months ago is now easy to find. Layoffs everywhere.

[annabanana]

7. On my little block are

3 vacant houses and 2 places for rent. .

[CountAllVotes]

8. I just got back from Safeway

I was stocking up on a few things that were on sale. The MANAGER of the store took my stuff out to my car for me and loaded it up. He said that they had laid off approx. 50% of the work force at the store and that this was normally not his job to do (helping people take stuff out to their cars).

Safeway mind you ...

[dixiegrrrrl]

12. Dunno what this means, but

The usual weekly grocery store adverts came out, one store section is 4 pages instread of 6
and most of the stuff on sale is processed food type, not meat, not milk, etc.
That advert comes in the mail 3x week, so it was not a mistake or left out section, since all 3 are here by today.

My haircut place is down by 50% customers, they say. "Never seen it this slow".

[RB TexLa]

9. Unless they have to have the money no one is selling timber right now.

[RUMMYisFROSTED]

10. Not bad.

[TomInTib]

11. I live in one of the wealthiest ZIPs in the nation.

And retail (including mine) is absolutely flat.

I don't know what I am going to do.

Probably starve.

[nosillies]

13. Little impact, unfortunately

I say unfortunately, because if things were worse, maybe all these dipshits in Arkansas would be a little more blue.

[Mari333]

14. small tourist town in Michigan

which was, until last summer, awash with development.
the locals were starting to call it 'Condo-via'
but, alas for the big developers, the shite hit the fan.
Now, the megamansions on the outskirts of town are for sale
the development tracts and subdivisions sit vacant, no homes being built in the hinterlands
the condos are built, some half built, but none are selling and all construction has stopped
the realtors have moved on to other jobs, or just moved out of the area
Papa Johns closed, Max 10 closed, and many of the local businesses that catered to high end tourists are closed for good.
I have never seen this town with so many empty storefronts.
the town council has cut back on salt on the roads and fixing the streets.
and on the bright side, my property tax bill was half of what it was last year, because they must be adjusting the property tax to the actual value of the houses here..
looks like we have all lost almost half the equity in our homes.

[Green Mountain Dem]

17. Here in the Republic of...

Vermont we seem to be OK for now. Heating oil prices are going down and may not be as bad as originally thought, and the real estate market is stable. Our local banks and Credit Unions are strong and are lending as normal, and actually pushing car loans and refi's for mortgages. Unless all hell breaks loose I remain encouraged with our situation.

[uppityperson]

18. small town, nw WA.

Med clinic is very quiet, not nearly as many patients as usual. People can't afford deductibles and co-pays, though they expect business to pick up a little with holiday issues.

Weekly paper shows 2 columns of want ads, used to be 6-8. Even the always running ones (like nursing home) are missing.

Next spring/summer the Hood Canal bridge connecting here to where you can catch ferry to Seattle-side will be closed for 4-6 wks. They will run buses and a ferry, but instead of taking 2 hrs to drive or ferry/drive to (for example) SeaTac airport, it will take a couple more since must drive way around. Business are concerned.

Local big Ford dealership closed, consolidated in larger town a bit away.

School levy failed, twice since people don't want to commit to higher taxes and besides there wasn't enough oversight.

My business is slow, though taking advantage of end of the yr, use it or lose it, insurance coverage.

County has laid off workers, first time this has happened since I've been here (27 yrs).

[dixiegrrrrl]

26. I remember driving around Hood Canal

in between bridges being built. My grandparents settled in Gray;'s Harbor.
Long long drive around.

[KamaAina]

19. Hawai'i: I actually saw two tourists last night

first we've had in months.

And they were just stopping over on their way back from Australia.

[sftwrngnr]

20. Here in Az...

State employees who were not laid off have been asked to take a cut in pay and voluntarily work for free one day per month. In my neighborhood, I've seen 4 business failures just down the street in a semi-affluent strip mall. Forclosures are up, housing prices are down. The company my wife works for filed bankruptcy and requires her to only work 22 hours per week.

Livin' the dream.

[FedUpWithIt All]

21. There is NO WORK. Too many people are going for the same jobs.

Some food banks (as of a month ago) were turning people away. Lot's of friends are cutting down this season. Lot of people i know are talking about eating in more. Thermostats are being turned down. There is just a heavy, tense feeling everywhere.

Several stores are closing. Used car lots are closing shop. Homes sit empty for very long periods.

It is important that we all try and remember those who are already struggling.

Edited to add...this is NE Ohio.

[justabob]

22. Dallas housing...

In my little corner of town, I can count no less than 100 VACANT units (plus what is still occupied) for sale/lease within a three block radius of my house... 10 on my block alone, and new several large condo developments (still under construction) within a five block radius. I have been trying to pay attention while driving around and the for sale signs are blossoming everywhere in all types of neighborhoods.

As for employment, supposedly Dallas is doing ok, but I have been looking for work since September. I am a low rung employee, not professional grade, but that distinction may have something to do with my luck.

edited for really bad grammar

[FSogol]

23. Northern Virginia. I work in the architectural/engineering field

and we just had a record year and are looking at hiring more people. We are unusual since most firms are downsizing. Tyson's Corner Mall is just as crowded as ever.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

24. Northwest Arkansas

More folks are asking for help via our clinic who cannot pay their bills, and are paying out. More are using credit cards to pay. Truckers, most of whom are independent contractors, are having a tough go of things, and many have quit. The housing market, which had been fairly good, has basically ground to a halt, leaving many people and firms related to that industry without jobs. We've seen lots of patients with stress-related disorders based on economic issues.

Edited to add: All restaurants are nearly empty. I'm worried that my favorites (all locally owned) will have to close down for lack of business.

I've noticed an uptick in sales--at the thrift stores only! Other stores' sales, even grocery stores, are way down.

[lumberjack_jeff]

25. Logging and mills are basically shut down. n/t