The financial crisis is being reflected in a flood of pink slips hitting almost every part of the economy in nearly every part of the country. New government numbers show almost 2300 American companies had so-called mass layoffs just last month, a mass layoff being defined as cutting at least 50 jobs. The moves cost 236,000 workers in this country their jobs and today, more well-known companies joined the list. Here’s David Muir.
For 21 years, this New Jersey husband and father has worked in finance, but Michael Raynor’s job has now been cut, and his last paycheck comes next week. “This is the first time in, in, you know, I’ve ever not had a job, and I’m 45 years old.” “What I think would be a great idea for you …” As he sits across from a career counselor, his wife, Roseanne, is also job-hunting, forced back to work, after a decade at home with the children.
“Yesterday was my first interview. I have applied for 30 or so jobs so far. Um, I haven’t really heard from anyone.” She and her husband are among the hundreds of thousands of American workers who’ve been forced to find work after their own job was cut or after their spouse lost his or her job.
Jobs in housing and finance were cut first. Now it’s spreading: just today, the drug maker Merck announcing it’s slashing 7200 jobs. Yahoo said it will cut 1500 jobs, PepsiCo, 3,000 jobs. And Best Buy plans to cut holiday hires by as many as 10,000. And if it seems this recession is hitting harder and faster than past slowdowns, economists say there’s a reason for it. Companies were already lean.
“For most employers, there’s little cushion, because they already had very few employees for the work that they were doing, and so as the economy shrinks, we’re going to see, you know, large-scale cutbacks.” - Which economists say will bring two more major side effects: highly-skilled workers laid off, forced to accept jobs that require far less training, and in many cases, far fewer hours.
“As more people are pink-slipped, there’s a greater emphasis on becoming a free agent. So a lot of people are turning to ways to supplement their income.” - Which is why in the Rainer household, it’s all hands on deck: the highly- skilled father searching for another career and the at-home mom going back to work in an economy that’s given them no other choice. David Muir, ABC News, New York. | |
financial crisis : 금융 위기
reflect : 반사하다, 반향하다, 반영하다, 곰곰이 생각하다
ex. The morning light reflected off the snow. 반사되었다.
ex. The lake reflected the surrounding mountains. 주위의 산들이 호수 에 비추어 졌다.
ex. He said that the statement did not reflect his own views.
ex. Josie reflected on how easily she could have been killed.
flood : 홍수, 범람 , 쇄도, 범람시키다, 홍수지 게 하다, ~ 에 많이 몰려들다, 쇄도하다
ex. a flood of tears 마구 쏟아지는 눈물 / ex. Applicants flooded the office. 지원자들이 사무실에 쇄도했다 .
ex. The station was flooded with refugees. 역에는 피난민들이 몰려 들었 다.
pink slip : 해고통지서
* pink-slip : <종업원을 > 해고하다
layoff : (불경기.경영난 등으로 인한 일시적) 해고
* lay off : (불경기.경영난 등으로) ~ 를 일시해고하다
define : 정의를 내리다, <말의> 뜻을 명 확히 하다, <경계범위를> 규정짓다, 한정하다
* define A as B: A를 B로 정의하다
ex. Collins English Dictionary defines a workaholic as `a person obsessively addicted to work'.
paycheck : 급료 지불 수표, 급료, 봉급
career counselor : 취업 상담사
job- hunt : 직장을 찾다, 일자리를 구하다
or so : ~쯤, ~정 도, ~가량
be forced to ~ : ~ 해야만 한다, ~ 하지 않을 수 없다
ex. She was forced to confess. / ex. He was eventually forced to cough up details of the crime.
slash : ~ 을 깊이 베다, 〔예산·급료 따위〕를 깎다, 크게 삭감하다
ex. Our budget has been slashed. 예산이 (대폭) 삭감되었다.
slowdown : 감속, 경제 둔화, 경기 둔화
* slow down : 속력을 늦추다, 속력이 떨어지다, (경제가) 둔화되다
lean : <사람 동물이> 야윈, 마른, <고기 가> 기름기 없는, (회사가) <비용을> 절감한, 기대다, 기대서다
cushion : 쿠션, 방석, 완충물[장치], 악화를 막는 것, 경기 대책, (만일의 경우나 노후를 위한) 준비, 대비, 쿠션으로 받치다, < 충격 고통 등을> 흡수하다
ex. Our landing was cushioned by deep snow.
ex. Computer rental packages cushion customers against upgrade costs.
shrink : 움츠러들다 , 오그라들다 , 줄어들다 , 축소시키 다 , 움츠리게 하다
cutback : (인원·생산 등의) 삭감, 축소
ex. make a cutback in production 생산을 삭감하다.
side effect : 부작용
free agent : 1. 자유 직업인(someone who is free to do what they want because they are not responsible for anyone else) 2. 자유 계약 선수(a player who is available to sign a contract with any team agent)
turn to ~ : ~ 로 향하다, ~ 에 의지하다
ex. His attention turned to the pretty girl. / ex. He turns to God in his trouble.
ex. What if you were in trouble? Where would you turn? / ex. For relaxation he turns to tennis.
supplement : 보충, 부록, 추가, 영 양제, 보완하다, 보충하다, ~ 에 부록을 붙이다
ex. vitamin supplements for pregnant women
all hands on deck : 1. 전원 갑판에 집합! 2. 모두 같이 힘내라!
ex. It may be a hard time. But all hands on deck! 힘든 시기일지도 모른다. 그러나 모두 힘내라!
search for : ~을 수색하다, 검색하다, 찾다
stay-at-home : 외출을 싫어하는, 집에만 틀어박혀 있는. n. 집에 만 틀어박혀 있는 사람, 외출을 싫어하는 사람
* stay-at-home mom/dad : a parent who stays at home to look after their children instead of working outside the home
ex. I was a stay-at-home mom until 1980 when my husband lost his job. | |