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Uncommon Economic Indicators

The Brian Lehrer Show's online and on air collaborative project on the economy

More unemployed men looking for "pick-up" work

Story submitted by: Veronica

Thursday, January 29 2009

Washington Ave Fulton St

I have lived in Clinton Hill for 30 years, in the early '90's you could often find men to help do things like shovel your walk or carry home "street finds" (cool furniture) and in the past few years it had become almost impossible to find casual help. But since late November I am approached almost daily by men who would like to help me sweep or shovel my walk, clean out my garden, unload groceries from my car or even just asking me if I had any odd jobs for them - I often do hire them, but the whole thing feels very "bother can you spare a dime"...

Now Empty

Story submitted by: Kelly Kwedar

Thursday, January 29 2009

641 Grand Avenue Brooklyn

I have been photographing the empty store fronts I come across daily. So many places to miss. So much hope that they will be filled again soon with a New New York.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19594312@N00/sets/72157610484803073/

So Many Sales!

Story submitted by: Dara Blumenthal

Thursday, January 29 2009

varick and spring street 10013

Nearly every store in SoHo and down Broadway (below 14th St.) has a "SALE" sign in the window. Even the fancy foreign designers! I don't think I have ever seen SO many sales in the boutiques (and so many store going out of business).

Living In Automobiles

Story submitted by: linus

Thursday, January 29 2009

147 95th st Brooklyn, ny 11693

There are many more people living in vans. Here in Rockaway Beach a couple has been living in the parking lot across my house for months. Their toilet is a bucket, plastic bag and the parks department garbage can. They argue and are always there! My buddy says he sees people in vans living in the Willowbrook Mall parking lot.

Unshovelled sidewalks

Story submitted by: Severn

Thursday, January 29 2009

287 22nd Street

You can spot the stalled renovation and construction projects in my neighborhood because the sidewalk remains unshovelled for days after a snowstorm.

Lost Dollar Discount

Story submitted by: Terri Ann

Thursday, January 29 2009

In Ithaca NY, our local Wegmans supermarket used to have a word scramble game posted at the dry-cleaning pick-up station in the store. You could get a dollar off of your dry-cleaning bill (up to $4) for each word you could unscramble. That's been gone as of the first week in January.

Also, on a more personal note, my fiance and I have only seen one of the Oscar nominated movies this year, as opposed to the 4 or 5 we usually see.

Shoe Sales!

Story submitted by: Kate Clausen

Thursday, January 29 2009

202 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11215

At Eric NYC on Seventh Avenue, they are selling shoes that normally retail for $400.00 for $99.00. If you buy two pairs, you get the second one for $59.00.

groceries, not restaurants + library, not bookstore

Story submitted by: thriftybrooklyn

Thursday, January 29 2009

14th St between 2nd and 3rd Ave, Manhattan Central Library, Grand Army Plaza, Brooklyn

A long line out the door to get IN - at Trader Joe's 14th St Manhattan grocery store Tuesday dinnertime. Less eating out, more cooking in.

I'm checking books out of the library for the first time in a long time -- now I have time to do so, since I got laid off.

Eat Less Serve Many

Story submitted by: Sue

Thursday, January 29 2009

Park Slope Brooklyn

The plastic take-out food plates from the Chinese restaurants are a little smaller in circumference.

Smart Spending Good for Biz

Story submitted by: tom

Thursday, January 29 2009

Bloomfield, NJ

I perform home energy audits informing people what they need to do to increase the 'home performance ' of their home tin order to save energy. I've been in business for 16 months and what I find peculiar is that, considering oil to be low and disposable income to be limited, I have never been busier. I'm ready to hire help. Could it be that people are now thinking of spending 'smartly'.

Recycling at last

Story submitted by: Aleeda

Thursday, January 29 2009

Maplewood, NJ

A positive behavior I've noticed on the few times I've commuted these days is the fact that someone always grabs the newspapers that used to litter the seats and aisles of the NJ Transit trains.

NICE LANDLORDS

Story submitted by: Michael

Thursday, January 29 2009

Brooklyn

My partner and I received about a 25% pay reduction at our respective jobs. This made our rent in Carroll Gardens really difficult to meet since we basically live paycheck to paycheck. We explained our situation to our landlord and she was nice enough to reduce our rent the same amount indefinitely. TALK TO YOUR LANDLORDS, they can be reasonable!

Tight Poker Game

Story submitted by: jeff

Thursday, January 29 2009

563 13th St New York, NY 10009

Played in my weekly poker game on Tuesday night. I dubbed it "Recession Poker" because it was the tightest game in years. Nobody one too much, nobody lost too much.

smaller glasses at bars

Story submitted by: Dan

Thursday, January 29 2009

Midtown

A corporate/chain bar I went to the other night was replacing their 16 oz beer glasses with 14 oz glasses.

Keeping the Change

Story submitted by: cindy

Thursday, January 29 2009

I drink a lot of bottled carbonated water and these bottles require a 5 cent deposit. I used to just throw these bottles into the recycling bin but now I return them to the local supermarkets to get my deposit back. It doesn't seem like a lot but these bottles add up!
[photo by Rosa Say]

Economic Downturn Affecting Inspirational Target

Story submitted by: Paulo

Thursday, January 29 2009

Roselle Park, NJ

Posted on my blog - Warning the sign I received that Target stores were going to have problems. I received a coupon from them for the first time EVER!

http://loquat73.blogspot.com/2009/01/economic-downturn-affecting.html

not shopping anymore

Story submitted by: Jordana Furcht-Rohan

Thursday, January 29 2009

174 Saint Marks Ave. #3 Brooklyn, NY 11238

We are eating more pasta, staying in our apartment and not moving to a bigger apt with a washer and dryer like we planned a year ago, not going out to eat, I am bringing my lunch, and trying to get my portfolio together in case I lose my job. I have noticed that all of my freelancer friends are calling me looking for work (because as of now, I still have a fulltime job). That is new because before, they didn't have to look so hard for work.

You Want Fries With That?

Story submitted by: karl

Thursday, January 29 2009

3rd St and 6th Ave. Manhattan

At McDonald's if you want mayonnaise rather than ketchup for your french fries, there's a 22 cent surcharge. I was shocked.

Healthy Tissue

Story submitted by: STEPHEN LICATA

Thursday, January 29 2009

one can always tell how a hospital is doing financially by the thickness of paper towels and toilet paper.

status quo gets canned

Story submitted by: Anne Ishii

Thursday, January 29 2009

I have six friends who have been laid off since last September, and they are all white upper middle-class males in their mid-30s. A few other friends who've been laid off are not from that demography but all are from a higher income bracket (than at least me).

Friends of color and women in my network have largely evaded the axe. (Firings notwithstanding) My theory? We (women and people of color) are still the cheaper work force.