Around the world, the economic outlook pretty much sucks. Thousands are losing their jobs in the EU, the USA, and Canada. People's retirement savings are going down the tubes. Governments are spending trillions of dollars and Euro to prop up failing businesses.
But that's all hard to understand and digest. I find it difficult to put impersonal stories in the news and "trillions" of dollars into perspective. I'm a human being, which means I'm a social critter. I need stories and anecdotes.
So, I want to know how the struggling economy is effecting you. Have you lost your job? Seen your hours reduced? Been forced to cut back on things?
I'll go first: to be honest, I haven't been feeling the pinch at all. My area of Canada has been underperforming economically for a century. We didn't go through the "boom" of the last decade, so this sudden decline isn't really hurting us to a great deal.
My fiancée and I are looking at steady employment (though we have five university degrees between us, so we may be unique), and though we won't be living extravagantly for a while, we won't want for anything either.
I don't know anyone who has lost their job yet, except my brother-in-law who was a contract employee for an oil exploration company in Alberta.
So wher eis the pain being felt? I've heard the eastern and western coasts of the USA are MIGHTILY screwed, due to the colossal runup and instant deflation of housing & mortgages. How is the average Euro guy doing?
But that's all hard to understand and digest. I find it difficult to put impersonal stories in the news and "trillions" of dollars into perspective. I'm a human being, which means I'm a social critter. I need stories and anecdotes.
So, I want to know how the struggling economy is effecting you. Have you lost your job? Seen your hours reduced? Been forced to cut back on things?
I'll go first: to be honest, I haven't been feeling the pinch at all. My area of Canada has been underperforming economically for a century. We didn't go through the "boom" of the last decade, so this sudden decline isn't really hurting us to a great deal.
My fiancée and I are looking at steady employment (though we have five university degrees between us, so we may be unique), and though we won't be living extravagantly for a while, we won't want for anything either.
I don't know anyone who has lost their job yet, except my brother-in-law who was a contract employee for an oil exploration company in Alberta.
So wher eis the pain being felt? I've heard the eastern and western coasts of the USA are MIGHTILY screwed, due to the colossal runup and instant deflation of housing & mortgages. How is the average Euro guy doing?