by Laura Conaway

Good morning from the holiday crew at Planet Money. Adam and I are enjoying the peace and quiet, we think. Jonathan Kern, our genius radio editor, sends a link from the Washington Post:

Trade Barriers Toughen with Global Slump.

The economists we talk to have been warning us about this, saying that governments might decide to protect their own factories at great risk to the world economy. Meanwhile, I woke up this morning to news I already knew, thanks to the whole Planet Money crowd: Businesses are trimming costs by slicing wages, 401k contributions, and work hours. From the New York Times:

More Companies Are Cutting Labor Costs Without Layoffs.