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