Is the recession over yet?

[Teddyrose54]

Just asking, coz some people are claiming that it is.

And my sales have really picked up, but all for overseas.

So are overseas doing better than us?

[moonwitch]

What recession? ...I haven't noticed even the slightest change in my buying habits in the last couple of years that could be put down to a recession.

[TiasTreasures]

Not here. Highest unemployment rate in many, many years, and people are moving away. As a result, rent and home prices are both down.

The people who still have jobs are being VERY careful with their money. The big stores and restaurants are cutting back, some have gone out of business. The tourist industry is down too, now the hotels are laying people off. Quite a few people have gone back to Mexico because the construction industry is almost dead in its tracks (there's been some disagreement about how many of them were illegals and how many had green cards).

[deltadelta48]

Not here. Highest unemployment rate in many, many years, and people are moving away. As a result, rent and home prices are both down.

The people who still have jobs are being VERY careful with their money. The big stores and restaurants are cutting back, some have gone out of business. The tourist industry is down too, now the hotels are laying people off. Quite a few people have gone back to Mexico because the construction industry is almost dead in its tracks (there's been some disagreement about how many of them were illegals and how many had green cards).

True for the midwest too. In Milwaukee I lost track of how many manufacturers have laid people off. Even Harley Davidson! Attendance for summer events is down, construction is down here but there are some large freeway projects that are keeping some busy, but not enough.

Our home prices are down, lots of homes for sale, no one can afford them or get loans, several for sale on each block. Some people losing their homes to forclosure. Value of our homes dropped, so those with new loans are owing way more than house is worth, so they are walking away. Lots of empty stores, smaller businesses could not survive,

I don't see it getting better yet, but people are shopping for school, holidays etc, so there will be some sales, but places like furniture stores, are really really hurting.

[JanetB]

Here where I live, they have announced the closure of all Libraries for 1 week as of next Monday to save money (?????)

I would have thought that just closing Libraries for Saturday & Sunday would have been more efficient and cost effective. Many people rely on libraries for their daily tasks, especially computing for those that can't afford their own.
x

[lejoueurdepipeau]

There have been newspaper reports saying that France and Germany are climbing out of recesssion earlier than the UK but who knows.....?

Exchange rates are still all over the place! Doing well last week - this week not so good!

[Spyder1942]

Countrys that did not bail out the banks seem to be doing better.

[Teddyrose54]

Countrys that did not bail out the banks seem to be doing better.

That's scary~

How would we of done if we hadn't bailed them out?

[moonwitch]

That's scary~

How would we of done if we hadn't bailed them out?

We would have done as well as those countries who didn't bail out the banks.

France and Germany are now getting out of the recession...both countries have systems that have state run services and nationalistic economic policies.

Sadly...a lot of voters here don't see the sense of that and have continued to vote parties in who favour privatisation over nationalising services.

If it had been down to me I would have let the failing banks got to the wall and nationalised what was left.

Privatising public services was always a totally bad idea in my view

[Teddyrose54]

Privatising public services was always a totally bad idea in my view

Yet it works in the States.
Well it works in a lot of areas in the States.

I would hate to live in a country where the government owned and ran everything.

Not healthy.