Helping Hand Helps Michigan Residents

The State of Michigan has launched Helping Hand, a new website for people who are dealing with economic hardship. This site contains information about jobs and training; unemployment; health care; family support; and housing. It will allow Michigan residents to find out whether they qualify for state help and, in many cases, let them apply online.

Libraries Throw a Lifeline During These Tough Times

Tough times can leave you feeling overwhelmed and unsure of where to turn.

To help, the Troy Library has joined up with several other area libraries to create Tough Times: Recession Resources. This website has resources that can help you during today’s difficult economy. The site has information on

• Filing an unemployment claim;
• Finding affordable health insurance;
• Finding a job;
• Keeping your home;
• Repairing and maintaining credit; and
• Receiving assistance with utilities, food banks, and general assistance.

Take a look. There is some great information here that might help in these tough times.

Riding Out the Recession in a Virtual Classroom

As layoffs mount and workers look for ways to boost their resumes or reboot their careers, many are turning to online education to ride out the recession. Schools offering online degrees or professional certifications are thriving.

Read the full report from CNN.com.

More Information on the Recovery and Reinvestment Act

Following the progress of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) of 2009 – the stimulus bill? Check out these sites:

view a map with links to each state's recovery web page, that helps explain how they are spending funds allocated by the Act;

the Department of Education's economic stimulus webpage; and

the Department of Labor announced funding for employment and training
programs under ARRA.

Microsoft Announces 5,000 Job Cuts

The declining economy continues to take its toll. This morning, Microsoft announced that the company's December earnings were flat, and that it would layoff 5,000 employees -- the first ever company-wide layoffs.

Read Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's memo to his employees, announcing the job cuts.

[via Yahoo Finance]