More grim news from the employed sector. According to the Chronicle (not AP!?), "January's payroll job losses were the steepest one-month decline since the end of 1974 when the nation was battling another deep recession"and the overall U.S. unemployment rate rose to 7.6 percent in January, the highest level since September 1992.

Ugh.

That said, Tommy Wallach from Wired Magazine has some astute advice on how to treat a fellow colleague (of pal) who has just been laid off. He gives fantastic bullet points on how to ease their pain. Two examples -- "Depersonalize: Like a child reeling from an ugly divorce, the recently pink-slipped must be constantly reminded: 'This is not your fault'" and "Philanthropize: Most important, when you meet at the local Olive Garden to hash things out over manicotti, you better pick up the check" -- are particularly noteworthy. Learn more at Wired.