.Hard Times by the Numbers

Hey, have you heard? Times is tough. And there’s nothing like fresh new numbers to fill you with the tangy taste of despair. So here we go! First up: unemployment. The number of people filing for unemployment benefits last week jumped by 12,000 to hit the magic number of 500,000, a figure not seen since late last year. As fears of a double-dip recession and deflation continue, employers are clearly still hunkering down for the long haul and cutting costs.