“Optimists are right. So are pessimists. It’s up to you to choose which you will be.”
-Harvey Mackay

Latest Unemployment figures from the Department of Labor Website:

The following states had the highest insured unemployment rates in the week ending Jan. 24:

1. Michigan 7.4%
2. Oregon 6.9%
3. Idaho 6.8%


The following states had the largest increases in initial claims for the week ending Jan. 31:

1. California +20,001
2. North Carolina +8,663
3. Ohio +4,738

Economy tip for the week:

Want to see a difference in your electric bill? Here's a few things you can do:

1. Wash your clothes in cold water. Your hot water heater won't need to work as hard.
2. Turn off lights when you're not using a room.
3. Unplug appliances when not in use.

Here's the latest article from the Unemployment site at BellaOnline.com.

What To Tell Your Kids - A Family Meeting
"I've been laid off". Familiar words that have been spoken in millions of homes across the country. The impact it has on you can be tough. The impact it can have your children can be devastating. Here is some information to think about before you have - the talk.

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art28137.asp

Please visit unemployment.bellaonline.com for even more great content about Unemployment.

To participate in free, fun online discussions, this site has a community forum all about Unemployment located here -

http://forums.bellaonline.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=postlist&Board=62

I hope to hear from you sometime soon, either in the forum or in response to this email message. I would love to hear your feedback!

Have fun passing this message along to family and friends, because we all love free knowledge!

Dianne Walker, Unemployment Editor
http://unemployment.bellaonline.com

One of hundreds of sites at BellaOnline.com