Recent layoffs have smacked white-collar workers the hardest, notes Grumpy Editor.
“Demand has fallen sharply for profesionals in technology, legal, scientific and finance fields,” notes The Wall Street Journal.
Amazon. com, for example, is cutting roughly three percent of its staff. That translates to about 10,000 workers in its retail, devices, human resources and other divisions.
Salaried and office staff also are being hit at Ford Motor Co. and Walmart.
IN CASE YOUR FAVORITE NEWS OUTLETS MISSED THESE...
NEW YORK TIMES STAFFERS EYE WALKOUT. Chairman of the guild representing New York Times Staffers, advises the newspaper’s publisher that “if there is no contract by Dec. 8, we are walking out.” That will involve more than 1,000 employees.
MORE WOMEN IN GOVERNOR POSITIONS. Going into the new year, a record number of women will hold Governor Positions. Four newcomers join eight already in that post.
‘GASLIGHTING’ IS WORD OF THE YEAR. Merriam-Webster names “gaslighting” word of the year. It means behavior that is grossly misleading or downright deceitful.
WASHINGTON POST MAGAZINE TO FADE. On Christmas Day The Washington Post is ending the print version of The Washington Post Magazine. The magazine has 10 staffers. Those positions will be eliminated.
NEW FLYING WING AIRCRAFT DEBUTS. A B-21 Raider, first new long-range bomber in more than 30 years, debuts in Palmdale, Calif. At a $750 million price tag, the B-21 boasts a futuristic flying-wing design and can fly deep behind enemy lines evading detection --- and could eventually fly without a pilot.
DOG SAVES OWNER IN HOUSE FIRE. Kansas man, asleep in his bed, credits his dog with saving his life in a house fire. With a portion of his house engulfed in flames, his whimpering six-year-old pit bull nudged his head. Both escaped the flames.
CANINES FAVOR ELECTRIC CARS. In other canine news --- after observing 20 dogs on short journeys in electric and diesel vehicles, researchers find they were more restless in diesel. They also note dog heart rates are reduced up to 30 percent in Electric Cars.
