Life After Layoffs: A City's Struggle to Survive

Haircuts on Sale

The ultimate sign of hard times can be seen on the heads of many men who are delaying haircuts to save a few bucks.

In response, a group of barbershops last week started offering discounts to the unemployed.

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"I've been a barber for 41 years in Elkhart," said Lowell Thomas, owner of Lowell's Barber Shop. "After all those years, those people have helped me enough and kept me in business that it's time for me to give something back to them when they need it."

Haircuts at his shop normally cost $13. Now, on Wednesdays anybody who lost a job can get one for $8.

But he too is feeling the squeeze. Residents have stretched out the time between haircuts from about three weeks to more than five, and Thomas said his business is down 20 percent.

"A lot of people are embarrassed to ask. So when they call up and ask how much my haircuts are, I ask them if they are unemployed," Thomas said. "It's not much but it might give a family a little bit extra for Christmas. Five bucks is five bucks anyway you look at it."