Were You Affected By Gas/Oil Prices Last Year? If So, Call Me
PRINCETON, NJ — Thirty percent of Americans report that their employers have laid off employees during the past six months — up from 22% a year ago, and the highest level since August 2003, when 34% of employees said this was the case.
So this is one of those internet APBs — apologize if you’ve answered one of these before and I didn’t respond. This time, I’m really hoping to find people who can tell me their stories.
I’m writing about the effect of the high energy prices from last summer, i.e. the oil bubble. So I’m looking for people who were seriously, materially affected by energy prices last year. If you were laid off by a company that suffered because of high energy prices, for instance, or if you could no longer make a commute because gas prices made working uneconomic (I found someone with a problem like that last year in Vermont), or if you went into debt to pay for air conditioning or heat for your home — I’m interested to hear your story and hear how you managed the problem.
I’m particularly interested in people who’ve had these problems and also happen to live in certain parts of the country. The places I’m looking at most closely include:
1) The city of Chicago
2) The Miami/Fort Lauderdale area
3) In Pennsylvania, along the Pennsylvania Turnpike
4) South and Central Indiana
5) Phoenix/Tempe
) Southern California/Sacramento/Bay Area
But even if you don’t live in one of those places, send me a note to the address at the side of this page (for “media inquiries”) — your experience may still connect to some other issues I’m looking at. I’m going to be making phone interviews all day tomorrow, so if you write me and have some time to speak tomorrow, please indicate a good time for me to call.
Thanks in advance for your patience.