14 plants in our area moved to Brazil over the past four years. Hubby lost job of 27 years and is fighting with the other thousands out of work for what scrap jobs there are. Since this was primarily a mill area, all the businesses are feeling it. Have strip malls with one lone store, although we are a small town too. Oh yeah, and the temporary work agency is closed now too. They didn’t have enough work to keep them in business past the end of the month.
Local community college had to turn away students for the first time ever as there was TRIPLE the expected amount of students registering for classes this past fall. Needless to say, in our area (our region is at nearly 15% unemployment without taking U6 into account and given the plant closings, I’d estimate the U6 is double that number), restaurants are barely surviving. McDonalds in the three county area has a hiring freeze. Yes, MCDONALDS IS NOT HIRING. Walmart is laying off even part time help and the grocery store said (when I asked for an application) that they are turning away 20 people a day.
Three insurance agencies shut down due to businesses leaving or shutting down meaning commissions are out.
It’s pretty grim here. Luckily it’s rural and we rely on each others for stuff. We have a market at the courthouse every weekend and they have started not only selling produce, eggs, and such, but trading and bartering. I traded a nice quilt for some canned peaches and eggs and other food last weekend. Since most rely on propane for heat, and it’s still expensive, quilts are a commodity.
By the way, I’m working on my “breakfast blanket”. I hope to master it soon and take it to the market. It’s like a shawl/blanket for kids to eat breakfast without having to crank up the heat in the morning.
Where do you live? Stating the obvious: That’s no recession, that’s a full blown depression.