I am deeply sorry to hear this. Especially with kids, this has to be scary. :(

Praying for you (I hope you don't mind).

Stay-at-home order for Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) commences at 8PM this evening, lasting for two weeks.

What happens if you try to contact the state? Not sure how much manpower they have to deal with this but I bet if your boss got an email from the state he or she would reconsider.

You are correct - the S&L meltdown and 1990-91 recessions were nothing at all like what occurred 2008-09. I didn't know anyone whose parents lost their professional jobs because of those events. All of those MTV spring breakers back in the 80s hadn't a care in the world because they were facing at most $2,000 in loans after graduation. The student loan situation didn't really get out of hand until the early 2000s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wlJ-QgEkUQo

Wondering what this really means, like I planned on taking photos of all the abandoned streets and such. Wondering if the cops will give fines if you are out.

Definitely scary, doubly so because my wife is currently unemployed trying to start her own consulting business.

Zero income and staring down the barrel of a recession/depression. This is some shitty-ass timing.

But thanks for the prayers, I'd never get offended about anything like that. We're all in this together, whether we want to be or not.





My dad was laid off from his professional job in 1991.

He was 44.

He survived.



I just got laid off from my proffessional job today.

I'm 44.

Hoping for the best.

I doubt that they will fine you.

Sorry to hear this. It sucks, I know.

^^I dunno. But I think many Republican governors may follow the federal lead. Probaly not NY, CA and other blue states though . . . until the pain gets too much. And he could maximize that pain by denying them aid to maintain the lockdowns.

Vegas is not looking good. Don't think the city will fully bounce back this time. So much of this city is built around visitors. Even a lot of the secondary businesses are in support of that. The Strip, Fremont Street, and every other tourist area is closed up and dark. Several local companies, including the one I work for, have now furloughed almost all the staff. That includes me. Steely Dan I am almost in the same situation as you. I don't know how it is across the city but almost every family member or friend locally is out of work. Even going by the surrounding two streets in the neighborhood I live the vast majority of neighbors are out of work. This morning "rush hour" traffic looked like a Sunday morning.

Every time I've picked up takeout, I've been the only one there, which is both good and somewhat concerning. My wife and I increased our eating out budget so we can get food from local restaurants more. Either way there seem to only be a few employees at each restaurant. Maybe the restaurant will stay open but obviously this is not good for the employees.

Going on a walk is fine. I assume that includes taking pictures (at least I hope so, I decided to buy a DSLR to take advantage of extra time to walk around and take pictures...).

Ah shit, so sorry to hear this! I have heard of other companies getting ready to lay off folks en masse. 2.0 may be right.

Hang in there, Steely Dan!

We're all affected one way or another. Let's be creative, and we will look back at this as an extraordinarily disruptive event, but we must surmount it all.

I am about to retire and my pension is taking a beating. Now, all non-essential businesses are being shut down in Ontario, so I will lose my job for the remaining time. I was about to be hired for a part-time retirement job but that business is likely non-essential so that job is likely going by the wayside, at least for the time being. This is not the transition to retirement I had planned on. For me, this is a potential financial disaster.

^
Surely Canada is doing more for its citizens than the US, which is absolutely nothing.

Let me extend my sympathy as well. You seem like a very capable guy, and I'm confident you'll land on your feet! Hang tough!

Canada is doing something, for sure. Whether is the right combination of things, or enough is open to debate.

For simplicity's sake, Canada has taken the position that anyone laid off or unable to work as a result of this will generally be eligible for unemployment benefits.

Those who are off due to Childcare for Children not in school, rather than a layoff will have a program with a different name, but the same benefit.

That benefit is 55% of employment income, subject to a cap.

Better than a kick in the head, LOL, but if you're of moderate income, rather tough to take a 45% pay cut.

That said, for lower-middle and low-income folks, there is a one-time top up $300 or so though our HST tax credit (sales tax credit), and some extra money for those with Children.

That extra money will flow in May.

In the mean time, several provinces have outlawed evictions for non-payment of rent temporarily.

Banks are voluntarily deferring mortgage payments for up to six months ** but because this is voluntarily, it is case by case and up to your bank.

All of which is something; but still not very good if you didn't have a cushion to fall back on.

More money is expected to flow, but amount and timing is not yet clear.

Though the province of Ontario will probably announce some on Wednesday.

Being so close to Pennsylvania, I have some friends that live right across the border, in Chester County, which also has the shelter-in-place mandate. For what it's worth, the Facebook post from Gov. Wolf says that you are only to leave your house if a life depends on it.

The governor's website goes into more detail. It looks like there won't be enforcement, but business allowed is specifically only that which is life-sustaining.

My boss is a state representative here, and the state legislature has been having daily teleconferences with the Governor and the health secretary. Apparently all of the governors have also been conferencing with the Vice President or the task force or something, and Delaware may be in the best position to recover from the virus first and get back to business as usual. That, of course, wouldn't be for another few weeks, and the Governor has a stay-at-home order in place tentatively until May 15. Anyway, the worry right now with the state legislature is that Delaware may be the first state in the country to recover, or at least the first state in the area to recover, which would send people from other states here to shop for groceries, alcohol, gasoline, go to gyms that are open, etc, which would bring in a second wave of the virus.

So on one hand, it is nice to see that there is talk of the other side of this already. On the other hand, which state will be the first to come out and say everything is normal? What will happen when that first state says everything is fine?