Here is a funny clue from the abcnews.com article:

To be direct: If Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel or John Mellencamp has written a melancholy song about your city, it’s probably on this list.

Good line for a sad story.  I wonder how some of these towns are going to be affected by this present economy?  Here is the top 10 most downsized cities:

10. Providence, RI
  9. Lansing, MI
  8. Pittsburgh, PA
  7. Toledo, OH
  6. Buffalo, NY
  5. Dayton, OH
  4. Detroit, MI
  3. Cleveland, OH
  2. Flint, MI
  1. Youngstown, OH

It is almost shocking how close these cities are to each other and how they followed similar paths – reliance upon automotive and steel industries.  I’ve been to 7 of these cities and the economic trouble before the recession was startling.  I can only imagine what it is like today.

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This is a new trend, I think:

As unemployment numbers hit historic highs, “pink slip” parties are popping up in big cities around the country. Hundreds of axed employees are going to happy hour meet-and-greets, where one can enjoy a drink and discuss career prospects with eager recruiters.

People are finding creative ways to stand out above the pack. In order to get a job in this economy, people have to get out there. And while there are no guarantees of gaining anything more than good conversations and a few contacts, some pink slip attendees have had success in finding new employment. Pink slip parties offer those on the prowl for jobs a chance to share information among themselves.

“If you take your network and compare it to the network of a total group, you get access to more people – if you can help each other, it’s a win for everyone,” said John Challenger, CEO of outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Pink slip parties are just one extension of social networking.

That is from the Career News newsletter.  Quite the creative idea as long as the parties include the “eager recruiters.”

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