It's the economy, stupid

[sleigh]

As is my wont for the first class after the holiday break, I asked the students in my Novel Writing II class last night how their holiday break went. Of the 17 people in the class, four mentioned that they or someone close to them (in two cases, a spouse) had lost their job over the holidays.

Four out of seventeen. 24%. Yes, it's anecdotal, but that certainly doesn't seem to bode well...

Comments

[scbutler.livejournal.com]

Doesn't bode well at all. Probably a little on the high side because (I'm assuming) most of the people in the class are college age to twenty-somethings. That age group always gets hit the worst.

[rfreebern.livejournal.com]

I've heard about a handful of job losses among friends over the past few weeks too, as well as a seemingly abnormally high number of pet deaths. I don't think the two are related.

[sethb.livejournal.com]

How many people, on average, do they consider "close to"? It's four out of 17 times that number who lost their jobs.

[ontology101.livejournal.com]

It's horrible here in Michigan. Not only are people losing their jobs...there is no work for which they can apply. And unemployment benefits run out...

And then a perfectly respectable person of perhaps more than average ability is suddenly destitute.

It's so very scary.

A.

[greenmtnboy18.livejournal.com]

The holiday brought layoffs here as well. Not me or Debbie, but more than I'd like to see in my immediate circle.