Layoffs have arrived in force, like a wrenching second act in the unfolding crisis. In just the last two weeks, the list of companies announcing their intention to cut workers has read like a Who’s Who of corporate America: Merck, Yahoo, General Electric, Xerox, Pratt & Whitney, Goldman Sachs, Whirlpool, Bank of America, Alcoa, Coca-Cola, the Detroit automakers and nearly all the airlines. Full Story »
Posted by Derek Hawkins
New information and predictions about layoffs and rising unemployment are woven nicely with a narrative of a husband and wife who were both recently fired. I almost always find this type of newswriting to be effective because it makes the numbers easier to digest and puts a face on a trend. This has satisfactory sourcing, but I would have liked one or two more anecdotes.
Good balance of on-the-ground relevancy by including personal details from a working family recently hit by layoffs, with context and statistics of past recessions and unemployment rates.
The photo accompanying the piece really moved me. This is a young family where both the mom and dad have been laid off. They're moving home to live rent-free with a relative until they find jobs. I hope they and the increasing number of unemployed find them fast, but the statistics of this piece paint a somber picture.
A "where the rubber hits the road" kind of story. It is hard to remember that the blow of this economic crisis struck just a few weeks ago, despite considerable foreshadowing during prior months. Only now is that blow manifesting in massive layoffs that are sure to escalate during the months ahead. A nice balance between statistics and human fallout as the crisis mounts.
As a hands-on builder, I and my family have known all too well the meaning of the various recessions we have experienced since I began my building career in 1971. When I study the layoff chart that appears in this story, the peaks correspond to times when we were forced to assume debt or, in one instance, sell a cherished home. People more insulated from the exigencies of the market simply do not understand the human cost.
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