had to cover a job fair today for engineering and technology candidates. hundreds of people showed up, if not closer to a thousand or so. many were electrical and mechanical engineers recently laid off. some with phD's. a few whose severance packages were not being honored by a company who filed for insolvency weeks after their positions were cut.
and today more friends and colleagues have been let go at news companies (we're not just papers anymore) that were once revered for doing things right. 75 positions gone from the San Antonio Express-News; 6 in the photo department. the Hartford Courant is dropping their staff to about 135 people, or roughly half the number of employees who worked there this time last year.
my paper is faring no better. we're bracing ourselves for another round of layoffs and then furloughs and paycuts for the staff that are fortunate to make it through. our stock at one point this week was selling for 49¢. a penny less than the daily newsstand paper. good times.
which made the irony a little more poignant and comical that today's job fair was sponsored by no other than my employer.
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