MEMO: MORE JOB CUTS IN BIG EMPLOYERS

In just a few hours last week, some of the nation's largest employers -- Black & Decker, Brunswick, JCPenney, Sara Lee and Standard Register -- announced they would collectively eliminate nearly 16,000 jobs. That came just days after Lucent Technologies announced 16,000 job cuts.

Since then, there have been some other big layoff announcements. Like the possibility that General Electric eliminate as many as 50,000 to 75,000.

Locally, 78 employees will lose jobs in a ShopKo action that will shut down 23 stores, with jobs cuts of up to 2,500 nationally.

The worry now is whether growing uncertainty among workers will cut into consumer spending and threaten the economy. Economists are divided over how much the layoffs will temper consumer confidence. Some say job cuts are a bitter medicine the economy must swallow to get back into robust condition.