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Working It Out
Working It Out Live: Have We Changed?
By Jon Greenberg on Friday, November 20, 2009.They call this the Great Recession - and it could have been a great depression without a massive infusion of cash. Technically speaking the recession is over - after 21 months and 7 million fewer jobs. Most economists predict a long slow recovery is ahead.
All this week we've been asking if we're making different choices because we're wiser or because the economy limits our choices. In our second monthly live program, we'll hear about the lessons we've learned - or not learned - from this recession and what it means for the future.
Relief for Long Term Unemployed; Another Boost for Homebuyers
With hundreds of thousands of jobless people about to run out of all benefits, congress has moved to extend unemployment benefits by 14 weeks nationwide for those whose relief has run out, and up to 20 weeks in states — 26 currently — where the unemployment rate is over 8.5 percent.
For the moment, the extra 14 weeks is the number that applies in NH.
The legislation also continues the $8,000 tax credit for first-time home buyers for another five months. It creates a new $6,500 tax credit for certain homeowners who want to buy another home.
The Recession Mindset
By Jon Greenberg on Friday, November 20, 2009.This week our series on the economy, Working It Out, has been asking, has this recession changed us. Jon Greenberg picks up that theme in our weekly economic round-up.
Recession Civics
By Jon Greenberg on Thursday, November 19, 2009.This week, as part of our series on the economy, Working It Out, we’re asking the question, has this recession changed us. The Carsey Institute at the University New Hampshire just released a study that examines a particular slice of that question. It looks at the impact of the recession on civic life. New Hampshire Public Radio’s Jon Greenberg has more.
Why Not Open a Restaurant?
By Virginia Prescott on Wednesday, November 18, 2009.
The restaurant business is a crap shoot. Three out of four restaurants close within three years. So, it might seem downright nuts to open a new restaurant during the worst recession since the great depression.
Food writer Regina Schrambling discovered that some savvy owners of new eateries are doing brisk business by serving up simplicity. She wrote about the trend in Entrepreneur magazine, and she joins us as part of NHPR’s Working It Out project. We also hear from Diane Downing, owner of Firefly American Bistro & Bar, which opened in downtown Manchester, NH the day after Christmas of last year.
Entrepreneur: Why Now is the Time to Open a Restaurant
The Eagle Tribune: New Restaurants Replace Closed Eateries
Forbes: So, You Want To Open A Restaurant
(Photo courtesy Joe Penniston via Flickr/CreativeCommons)
Trust in a Down Economy
By Jon Greenberg on Tuesday, November 17, 2009.This week in our Working It Out series, we’re asking the question, Have we changed? Did the deepest recession in decades bring us to some new understanding or when it ends, will we be back where we started?
The Center for Public Leadership at Harvard gives us some insights through its National Leadership Index. The annual survey looks at popular trust in various institutions from Wall Street to religious organizations. This year, American’s overall confidence in their leaders went up a little bit. But as New Hampshire Public Radio’s Jon Greenberg reports, the picture is more complicated than that.
Groundbreaking for Largest Stimulus-Funded Water Project
By Amy Quinton on Tuesday, November 17, 2009.Officials in Seabrook, New Hampshire broke ground today on construction of a new drinking water treatment plant.
Five million dollars in federal stimulus funds are helping to pay for the project.
As New Hampshire Public Radio’s Amy Quinton reports, it’s the largest amount of Recovery Act funds any town in the state has received to improve drinking water.
October Housing Sales Rise as Prices Fall: Condo Sale Surge
Declining home prices continue to help residential sales in New Hampshire. Prices are down about 11 percent and sales for the year are a hair above what they were in 2008.
Real estate agents are pleased with the October numbers. After a grim period stretching from last fall to early spring, there’s been a consistent if modest upward trend. The number of homes sold last month rose compared to this September and compared to October a year ago. The data come from the New Hampshire Association of Realtors.
Surprise Drop in Unemployment Rate
The state unemployment rate fell 4-tenths of a percent in October.
Unemployment dropped to 6.8 percent. The decline caught most analysts by surprise. Usually, when the national rate rises, as it did, so does the state’s.
Economist Annette Nielsen with the labor market information bureau says the job growth is real. The rate is not due to lots of people dropping out of the labor force. But Nielsen takes a cautious view.
Nielsen: "I would like to see a couple of months before I would definitely say this is what’s going on."
October Food Stamp and Medicaid Rolls Increase
The number of Food Stamp recipients rose about 3,2% to 94,750 during October. The increase of 2,930 was almost as large as the last big jump back in July when the rolls went up 3,059. Since June 2008, the Food Stamp program is serving 42% more people.
Medicaid rolls also increased to almost 116,000, an increase of 1114. This was somewhat larger than the increases of July, August and September.
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Declining home prices continue to help residential sales in New Hampshire. Prices are down about 11 percent and sales for the year are a hair above what they were in 2008.
Real estate agents are pleased with the October numbers. After a grim period stretching from last fall to early spring, there’s been a consistent if modest upward trend. The number of homes sold last month rose compared to this September and compared to October a year ago. The data come from the New Hampshire Association of Realtors.
The state unemployment rate fell 4-tenths of a percent in October.
Unemployment dropped to 6.8 percent. The decline caught most analysts by surprise. Usually, when the national rate rises, as it did, so does the state’s.
Economist Annette Nielsen with the labor market information bureau says the job growth is real. The rate is not due to lots of people dropping out of the labor force. But Nielsen takes a cautious view.
Nielsen: "I would like to see a couple of months before I would definitely say this is what’s going on."
Weekly Wrap-Up
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