A friend of mine lost his job last month, and instantly his dating life dried up. Are women so superficial that they don’t understand a temporary job setback? It’s not like the guy is a deadbeat that has been laying on the couch eating Doritos for a year. He’s a hard-working guy that happened to get laid off in this economy. He hits the streets (or the internet) every day looking for new employment and has had several interviews in the last couple weeks. But the chicks aren’t having any of that…they hear “unemployed” and run in the other direction.
So, …read more

Apparently, many employers were not prepared to lay off workers during the holidays. Whether the spirit of giving prevailed, or whether many companies just needed the extra seasonal help, the fact remains that the latest ADP payrolls data, just released, shows that job loss is slowing. While the unemployment rate remains high, the pace of job losses has been slowing, and there are hopes that things could turn around solidly, with the economy adding jobs overall, by the end of 2010.
The U.S. services sector is also enhancing, and this is providing a great deal of hope, especially when added to …read more

The economic outlook for 2010 appears to be improving. Stocks, at least, are rallying this morning in early trading. Many analysts expected measured improvement for 2010. However, it is clear that even with growth, the economy is not going to turnaround quickly. In fact, it is likely that the economy continues its improvements at a relatively slow pace in 2010. This could cause some disappointment for some, who continue to insist that the economic recovery should be moving more quickly. However, it is important to note that a recession nearly a decade in the making (with foundations set through two …read more

Yesterday, Ben Bernanke talked about the fact that the jobs market appears to be stabilizing as part of the policy statement from the Federal Reserve Board. However, today the news isn’t so rosy. Initial jobless claims rose unexpectedly this past week. Initial claims are still below 500,000, and that is encouraging, but it underscores the fact that there is still quite a ways to go in terms of economic recovery.
Indeed, there are some that think that a double dip recession could be on the way, and that the current jobs market is one of the reasons for it. This is …read more

The big news from the world of finance today is that the U.S. unemployment rate dropped in November. In the wake of a jobs summit at the White House, the latest numbers for the employment picture are in. And in November, it looks as though the economy only shed 11,000 jobs. This is opposed to the 125,000 that many expected the economy to shed in November. The news also meant that the unemployment rate dropped to 10%
Of course, this positive data does not indicate that a significant number of jobs are being added to the economy — just that the …read more

Yesterday’s distressing unemployment data sent the national unemployment rate above 10%. This came as President Obama prepared to sign into law a bill providing an extension of jobless benefits. The bill is a relatively small measure, by recent economic stimulus standards, at $24 billion. The bill will extend the eligibility to collect unemployment benefits by 14 weeks. In states with higher unemployment rates (of more than 8.5%), there is a 20 week extension.
But it’s not just the jobless benefits that have seen an extension. The bill is also extending the first time home buyer tax credit along the lines negotiated …read more

In a rather dour Friday morning surprise, the U.S. unemployment rate hit 10.2%. There have been predictions for months that the unemployment rate would exceed 10%, but as the economy started showing signs of life, hope was emerging along the lines of thinking that maybe that psychologically important level could be avoided. This morning’s non-farms payroll data destroyed all such thoughts.
However, even though the news sent stocks a little lower initially, they are inching up, desperate to remain in the black, even with the news. Even though the unemployment rate is higher, job loss is moving at a slower pace, …read more

If you are looking for a job, the best place to look isn’t the big corporations, who are laying of thousands.
It’s small businesses and startups. That’s according to  a recent poll by SurePayroll, small businesses are hiring.
But don’t hold your breath for all the perks that big companies have.According to the same survey, salaries are declining, as well as bonus perks.  Salaries declined by .51%, the largest one-month drop in the national average small-business salary since the study began in 2004. The average annualized small-business salary for a U.S. employee now stands at $32,182.
But hey. It’s better than no  job …read more