recession

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Staring at US Recession, Lasik Eye Surgery Blinks

As with last downturn, fewer people springing for corrective procedure

(Newser) - Corrective laser eye surgeries have declined sharply in the past year, a fall-off attributed to the economic slump—and expected to deepen as the recession continues, the New York Times reports. “We’re forecasting a 17% drop for 2008,” said one market researcher, who expects first-quarter data to...

Fed Ponders Pause in Rate Cuts—After 1 More

Experts expect a last cut to 2% before the central bank stops and waits

(Newser) - The Federal Reserve may be ready to cool its torrid rate-cutting after a likely .25% percentage point cut at its meeting next week, the Wall Street Journal reports. Futures markets are betting Chairman Ben Bernanke is unlikely to rest just yet, with little change in the month-to-month economic picture, but...

Starbucks Goes Decaf on Earnings Outlook

Stumbling US economy will water down quarterly profits, '08 forecast

(Newser) - The slumping US economy means Starbucks' quarterly profits won't meet estimates when figures are released April 30, the coffee giant said today. Analysts expected earnings of 21 cents per share for the quarter ended March 30; Starbucks expects 15 cents, the Wall Street Journal reports. It now predicts yearly sales...

Bush Boosts Battered NAFTA at Summit

Trading partners meet in New Orleans

(Newser) - President Bush yesterday opened a two-day economic summit in New Orleans with Mexico and Canada amid growing hostility to the North American Free Trade Agreement, which is widely blamed for US job losses. Bush is using the meeting with the trillion-dollar trading partners to highlight support for NAFTA as the...

Billionaire Pays $500K for 27 Bottles of Wine

Global economic downturn? What global economic downturn?

(Newser) - As the global economy falters, many people are fighting to make ends meet. And then there’s the Chinese billionaire who spent $500,000 for 27 bottles of wine today. The sale set a record for a single lot. “I don’t think he has bought this as an...

Retailers Checking Out as Economy Falters

Each default brings widespread fallout

(Newser) - Stores across the country are closing their doors, the New York Times reports, victims of a downturn in consumer spending. Retailers are often heavily leveraged, and as the economy falters banks are tightening credit. Several chains, including Sharper Image, have declared bankruptcy; others like Footlocker, Ann Taylor, and Zales are...

Recession Not Slowing Ultrarich
 Recession Not Slowing Ultrarich 
Apr 14, 2008 10:02 AM CDT

Recession Not Slowing Ultrarich

Real estate, art, yachts still finding no shortage of willing consumers

(Newser) - As many Americans batten down the hatches, the über-rich are still living it up, the New York Times reports. Already this year, 71 New York apartments have sold for more than $10 million—compared to just 17 in 2007. The good times were so good, many say, they haven’...

G-7 Leaders Offer No Fix for Credit Crisis

Ministers endorse more transparency, but not coordinated action

(Newser) - Group of Seven finance ministers ended 3 days of meetings in Washington yesterday by endorsing a plan to create greater transparency and oversight in financial markets to avert future crises, but no emergency measures to stem the current one. Despite a downbeat report on the likelihood of worldwide recession, and...

Recession Zings Top Law Firms
 Recession Zings Top Law Firms 
Apr 14, 2008 3:10 AM CDT

Recession Zings Top Law Firms

Associates laid off, programs cut

(Newser) - The recession has begun to nip at the heels of New York's big law firms, reports the Wall Street Journal. Some firms are beginning to lay off associates, rescind offers to those coming out of law school, and scale back summer associate programs. It's all due to a slowdown in...

Consumer Confidence Hits 26-Year Low
Consumer Confidence Hits 26-Year Low
Apr 11, 2008 11:10 AM CDT

Consumer Confidence Hits 26-Year Low

Index drops far below expectations on job, economy fears

(Newser) - Consumer confidence hasn’t been this low since 1982, according to the Reuters/University of Michigan index, which reported a slide to 63.2 from March’s 69.5. That was lower than even the lowest estimates in a Bloomberg analyst poll. “The consumer’s feeling increasingly hemmed in,”...

Delta Pilots Aboard for Merger
 Delta Pilots Aboard for Merger  
Apr 10, 2008 10:21 PM CDT

Delta Pilots Aboard for Merger

NW deal would create world largest carrier

(Newser) - Delta Air Lines has reached a deal with its 7,000 pilots that is expected to allow a long-delayed merger with Northwest Airlines to take off, Bloomberg reports. The airlines plan to announce the merger next week, sources said. The new airline would carry the Delta name and jet past...

Bank of England Cuts Interest Rate

Bank votes quarter-point cut to 5% as downward pressure mounts

(Newser) - The Bank of England today cut its benchmark interest rate 25 basis points to 5%, reports Bloomberg, hoping to keep the nation’s economy out of recession. Despite the third cut since December, BoE’s rate remains the highest among the Group of Seven industrialized nations; policymakers have drawn fire...

Pelosi, Dems Hijack Colombia Free-Trade Deal

They change House rules to avoid a vote, angering Bush

(Newser) - Congressional Democrats thumbed their noses today at Bush's renewed efforts to pass a free-trade pact with Colombia. Bush sent the bill over Monday, mandating Congress to vote yea or nay within 90 days. Or so he thought. Nancy Pelosi is changing the House rules and won't allow a vote until...

US Recession Will Slow World Economy: IMF

Financial crisis worst since Great Depression, body says

(Newser) - The International Monetary Fund says world economic growth will slow drastically in the next two years. In its new report, the IMF states that the world downturn will be led by the US, which will slip into a "mild recession" this year, the BBC notes. The report calls the...

Small-Business Confidence at 28-Year Low

With sales slowing, owners sweat inflation, rising energy costs

(Newser) - Slowing sales, rising inflation, and skyrocketing energy costs have small-business owners cutting back on hiring and tightening their spending as they brace for a continuing economic slowdown, USA Today reports. A National Federation of Independent Business survey puts small-business confidence last month at its lowest quarterly point since 1980.

Dems Push New Aid Package as Job Market Swoons

Economists say any doubt we're in recession is gone

(Newser) - Democrats are calling for another stimulus package to help American workers as unemployment soars, the New York Times reports. Almost 250,000 American jobs have been lost since the beginning of the year—including 80,000 in March—leading one policy expert to say it's time the government switched focus...

US Drops 80,000 Jobs, Biggest Loss in 5 Years

Non-farm payrolls fall 80,000 in March, biggest drop in five years

(Newser) - Unemployment surged in March to 5.1%, the worst it’s been since September 2005, reports the Wall Street Journal. The country lost 80,000 non-farm jobs last month after dropping 76,000 jobs in both January and February. The third sharp drop fuels fears that the US has slipped...

Troubled US off the Rails: Poll

81% say nation is chugging to grim future

(Newser) - The vast majority of Americans are pessimistic about the nation's future and believe the problem-plagued US is heading in the wrong direction. More than 80% believe that “things have seriously gotten off on the wrong track.” That's the highest dissatisfaction rate since the New York Times/CBS News poll...

Not a Great Time to Be an Artist

Top financier predicts sharp downturn in market

(Newser) - The exploding art market may be about to deflate: New York’s flurry of contemporary art fairs last week had surprisingly good sales in light of the economic times, reports Portfolio, but the president of one of the nation’s most active lenders against art predicts a sharp downturn from...

Jobless Claims Hit 2-Year High
 Jobless Claims Hit 2-Year High 
Apr 3, 2008 12:34 PM CDT

Jobless Claims Hit 2-Year High

End-of-March increase way over expectations

(Newser) - New unemployment claims increased to a two-year high last week, the Wall Street Journal reports. A total of 407,000 Americans filed for jobless benefits, an increase of 38,000 over the previous week and the most since 2005. The surge in claims far surpassed the outlook of economists in...

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