Today, another mill closed. This is the second mill to close in two weeks, and has resulted in over 300 layoffs. For a city our size, that's HUGE.
A friend of the family's, who is a local plumbing inspector, told me on Sunday that he's been given a 20% pay cut and knocked down to part-time. Because of his new part-time status, he now has to pay an additional $200 each month for his insurance.
A school teacher friend and her husband are losing their house because her husband's company gave everyone a $4/hour pay cut. She's also taken a pay cut, and between the two of them, they can no longer afford their mortgage payment.
Justin heard today that a local plumbing supply shop all took a 10% cut in pay. It was that or lay off half the company.
Basically, my point is that it's a scary time in our economy right now, particularly for those of us who work (or whose husbands work) in the trades. Construction is down right now, and consequently EVERYONE involved in manual labor is feeling the burn. And I'm positive that this directly relates to the huge increase in the number of kids being taken into foster care I'm seeing. When I first started my job, about two to four kids came into foster care each week. Now, it's two to four a DAY. I'm seeing a huge increase in substance abuse and domestic violence. I guess it's a scary time to be a kid in this economy too. AND a wife.
