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MinnEcon Blog

Your dream job, expendable in this economy?

You work hard for years to score your dream job. Then comes one of the worst recessions ever. Suddenly, you discover the hard way the economy considers your dream job “non-essential.” It’s a bitter lesson taught too often these days to people in their late 40s, 50s and 60s. People who had cool, even enviable,…
by Paul Tosto

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Are you throwing away less garbage in this recession?

We’re always on the lookout for unusual economic indicators. So Jeane Nelson of Monticello got me thinking when she wrote in to tell us that she and her husband were planning to get rid of their trash pickup, in part, to save money in this economy. Made sense to me. My in-laws, bless them, are…
by Paul Tosto

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Would you hire your friends in this economy?

There’s an old saying about never talking politics with family or friends. Too problematic. But how about hiring them to work for you? I wondered about that after hearing from John Snell, who told us he’s been making an effort in this economy to hire friends and local firms who need the work. That got…
by Paul Tosto

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Thursday MinnEcon glimmer: Uptick in a Twin Cities employment index

No one’s ready to declare a turnaround in Minnesota’s unemployment. The jobless rate remains at 8.2 percent, the highest in more than 25 years. We won’t get the next official report for two weeks. I haven’t heard anyone predicting a drop. But if you’re searching for shiny nuggets in the gloom, here’s one today: A…
by Paul Tosto

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Putting off education to pay the bills

We’ve seen college enrollment rise in Minnesota during the recession and that’s good. It likely means people who’ve seen their jobs cut are trying to retrain. But the enrollment bump doesn’t mean it’s cheap to go to school in Minnesota. Despite attempts by some schools to ease the cost burden in tough times, tuition and…
by Paul Tosto

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Community college finds high demand for free classes for jobless

My post earlier today on putting off education to pay the bills got me thinking about an experiment Normandale Community College in Bloomington tried this term — free tuition in selected classes for people who were unemployed. The school’s offer made a splash late last year along with
by Paul Tosto

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Minnesota scores $130 million in federal unemployment aid

Minnesota will get $130 million in federal stimulus money to help pay ease the state’s unemployment, the U.S. Labor Department said Wednesday. The cash can be used to pay jobless benefits, provide employment services or to help pay for the running of the employment insurance program, the feds said. Here’s the MPR News story. Minnesota’s…
by Paul Tosto

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Opportunity, frustration, short sales in Twin Cities housing market

With job security, low debt and a bright economic outlook, Adam Leistico sees this as a great time to buy a house. The potential boost from the $8,000 federal home buyer credit makes it even more alluring. But the opportunities he’s seeing also make him an eyewitness to the challenges of trying to buy in…
by Paul Tosto

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Credit card rights?

Credit cards and consumer protections are the topics this morning on Minnesota Public Radio News. The Midmorning program features a discussion on a bill that passed the U.S. House that would end practices that some claim are unfair to consumers. The banking industry says it could end up hurting access to consumer credit. In February…
by Paul Tosto

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Unemployment benefits: Applying late can cost you

Lose your job. Seek unemployment benefits. That’s how most of us understand the drill. The reality is if you’re still employed but seeing your hours cut significantly, you need to apply now for unemployment benefits before you lose your job. That lesson came to us from Karin Patrick from Roseville. She’s one of our Public…
by Paul Tosto

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