As time wears on in the current economy there is so much chatter and it all seems to conflict, so do we know which end is up? “Some say” that the economy is getting better and that companies are hiring, and others are saying things are getting worse the longer they drag on. There is so much dirt throwing and defending of stimulus dollars and what it did or did not do for the economy, and so much focus on job numbers and unemployment figures but regardless of who you listen too it all depends on your frame of reference. Read More...

So you have a job and you do not share the same concerns as others of unemployment, but your company has asked you to do more (possibly outside your specialty), work harder, smarter and pick up the slack of others who are no longer there? In some cases companies have asked people to do this after a pay reduction. That’s all fine and good, but should you do it? Can you say no? And finally, is it all worth it? Read More...

In today’s complex job market there are lots of disputes as to what Job Seekers can do. If you read the internet at all, it can be a confusing maze of information about what you should and should not do. These days many have been unemployed for a long time and job seekers are desperate to work anywhere even it is completely different then what they have done in the past. Ok, we all have bills to pay and need to keep active but could accepting or working any job hurt your career goals and future? Read More...

As the job market continues to soften (depending on who you ask), and job postings increase on sites like www.AllPinkSlips.com, how come I can’t get an interview or even a response? Read More...

As the economic downturn and joblessness continues in full swing regardless of what the media says, there are many different stories that abound and the impact is far reaching in all areas. One such area of impact is the migration of young adults post college returning home to mom and dad’s house. There has been a distinctive increase in the amount of people returning home after college as they struggle to find their first job in their chosen career paths and industries. Read More...

The COBRA Continuation Coverage Assistance, which was made available under ARRA (stimulus) is ending for millions who started on the plan in March. This subsidy paid 65% of the cost of COBRA for a nine month period: The premium reduction applies to periods of health coverage beginning on or after February 17, 2009 Read More...

We obviously all know of the impact of job elimination and layoffs from an actual standpoint (no job, no money, etc.) but could the impact be much greater? There was an article written recently that highlighted the impact of layoffs and company closings in a grander sense. A company called Honeywell Hobbs has partnered with Sparc, an organization that provides access to employment for people with developmental disabilities. Read More...

Competition is fierce, seems like an obvious statement right? Well it is true and now competition for employment is more so then ever. So it begs the obvious question, how do you stand out? Read More...

These days there is lots of talk about how to be the best candidate you can be and vying for that open job opportunity. According to the Department of Labor there are 6.1 job applicants for each available job opportunity. Not really good odds of being successful are they? So the question begs to be asked is that job really worth applying for? What most job seekers do not realize is that working for a company may not be all its cracked up to be. Over 60% of the jobs available are with small businesses and many of those small businesses are comprised of 1 or 2 people running them. So, given the current state of job economy many people are looking at new and creative ways to find employment. For many that leads them to starting their own business. Read More...

While we all like to think things have changed since those days on the back of the bus and different bathrooms, have they really or does racism still exist? Clearly things have definitely improved tenfold since those dark days but is there still discrimination in hiring? The answer to this question is a resounding yes. The problem is that it is carefully jaded these days by terms such as “overqualified”, “not a good fit”, “did not have the skills we are looking for” or just plain ignoring resumes and inquiries. Sometimes women’s resumes are disregarded or Muslim sounding names are deleted from emails. And this is just in the application process! Sound preposterous? Read More...

According to economists and theorists alike the recession is over but does it really all matter? Well according to About.com a recession is defined as a decline in the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for two or more consecutive quarters. Definition of a Recession. Ok that seems vague as it does not take into account anything much of consideration. So let’s use that as our basis, since our GDP has recovered over the past few quarters we are officially out of a recession, but quite honestly who cares? Call it what you will but things seem to be at an all time high, last week was a devastating week for layoffs with almost 60K upcoming layoffs announced (and this week does not seem to be much better so far either), unemployment has just reached over 10% for the first time since 1983 and quite honestly those numbers are jaded. The real unemployment numbers are probably closer to 20% considering many do not collect unemployment or report that they are unemployed and if you factor in underemployment we are probably talking about closer to 40%. Wow that’s a whole lot of people. Read More...

Today President Obama is expected to sign legislation that extends unemployment benefits for 14 weeks in all states and 20 weeks in states that have 8.5% unemployment or higher. One drawback of this legislation is that those who lost unemployment benefits since the last extension was exhausted - about four weeks - will not be eligible to collect benefits for those weeks. Read More...

There is so much ballyhoo about the recession, the unemployment numbers and companies laying off but new statistics are arising. The view that the recession has been primarily a male based one with a whopping 72% of men being the recipients of pink slips since the recession began. WOW is all I can say. That is absolutely mind blowing. I guess it would stand to reason being that we still live in a male dominated society when it comes to the workforce, where with the cost of daycare many women choose to stay home and raise children until they enter Kindergarten. Read More...

Unemployment benefits vary greatly by state and don't necessarily reflect a state's cost of living and tax burden. For an example, New York State ranks 19th in average weekly unemployment benefits, but it has the 2nd highest tax burden. Hawaii residents collect the highest average weekly benefits at $425 per week, while Mississippians collect the lowest at $195 per week. Massachusetts residents collect the highest weekly maximum benefits at over $900, but Mississippians, again, are at the low end with a $230 maximum weekly benefit. Take a look at the graph to see where your state ranks: Read More...

Bob Dylan once sang those words only to have them resung so many times since. When he envisioned the lyrics to that song it was a diatribe about the changing times in the world and how things were not what they once were and there will be pushed to new limits and new understandings. Well my friends, does this sound familiar. Recently there was an article that appeared in the Wall Street Journal... Read More...

There were some improvements along with cautious optimism in today’s GDP and jobless claims reports: GDP improved by 3.5% from last quarter’s 0.7% decline, which unofficially ends the “Great Recession.” The improvement in GDP was the first in a year. Much of today’s 3.5% GDP improvement was a result of the Cash for Clunkers (1.66%) rebates and continued government spending on housing rebates and other stimulus spending. While it’s good to see GDP improve, there needs to be participation by the consumer, which represents 70% of GDP, to keep this improvement on track. If the consumer doesn’t start participating the government will have to continue its deficit spending spree in order to keep the economy from falling back into recession. Read More...

There is a new phenomenon that is taking shape that typically affects companies and not so much individuals but I question why as job seekers can does it not happen more often? The phenomenon I am referring to is called Coopertition. Read More...

Jared Lubitz, President of AllPinkSlips.com was interviewed by SmartMoney.com and the article talks about the irony of companies hiring and firing all at the same time. The article appeared yesterday and focuses on this interesting although not frequently discussed topic. Read More...

As age advances, so usually does our grasp of our career choice. A fifty year old lawyer usually has more contacts and experience than a newly minted junior partner fresh out of university. A fifty-five year old learned tool and die mechanic is likely to know some of the nuances of CNC programming more than a recently trained 20-something. All that experience usually demands a higher salary, increased benefits and additional job security – until now. Read More...

Now that companies have begun to hire again after almost 2 years of purging staff, competition has become greater then ever. So a job seeker needs to stand out and distinguish themselves more then ever. How about if they are trying to get their old job back or work for their old company? It happens more frequently then one thinks. Read More...

A writer inquired to the WSJ about how to gather references especially if a company is not willing to give them. We felt this was a news worthy story you needed to know about for your job search process. Read More...

You hear so much about what you should and should not do we wanted to further cloud the decision. Since it is no great shocking news about the difficulty in finding employment these days, you really need to be on your game. There is a great movement by many who are subscribing to the philosophy of it takes money to make money. Read More...

While getting laid off can be devastating financially, traumatic psychologically and embarrassing socially, it can also present life enhancing opportunity. The following individuals felt the pain of job loss and then chose to move forward for the better: Read More...

Here is a head-shaking story that involves a group of USPS workers who are paid to not work, but are paid to watch movies all night while waiting for future work to be assigned. On the face of it you can say that the union is taking advantage of its position, but not only is that the case, but management was stupid enough to sign a contract that allows this to happen. Read More...

Are you a good business email communicator? If so, cheers to you, since that may score you some additional career points in the communication game. If you still are using smiley faces, Internet slang, poor grammar and punctuation in your business correspondence, then you may want to start polishing up on business preferred email. Read More...

This article appeared in the NY Times today. It offers great advice on how to manage your own career like an Entrepreneur. Read More...

With a difficult job market, it’s important that you take advantage of even the slightest of opportunities. One of those opportunities could be an elevator ride (or another close quarter’s moment) with the person giving you an interview. According to the following article, use these few moments to make a lasting impression. But as with any other opportunity, you are likely to experience a better outcome if you are prepared for it. I’ll list the bullet points, but visit the author’s page to get the complete details: Read More...

If you are collecting unemployment benefits, you are probably looking for other ways to help make ends meet. Unfortunately, if one of those ways is making a few bucks using Google AdSense or Microsoft adCenter those unemployment benefits could be at risk. Why? Well one reason could be antiquated state unemployment rules and processes, which appear to be remnants of the days before technological advancement, telecommuting and the prevalence of multi-national (or multi-state) enterprises. Read More...

It appears that congressional Democrats have reached an agreement on extending unemployment benefits. If passed: The agreement would give an additional 14 weeks of benefits to jobless workers in all 50 states. Workers in states with an unemployment rate at 8.5 percent or above would receive six weeks on top of that. Read More...

Plenty if it also involves coworkers and your workplace. The latest workplace romance –I use that word lightly in this case – that is making headlines is David Letterman’s affair with a couple members of his staff. Then there’s Nevada Senator John Ensign’s scandal involving a married woman on his campaign staff. Read More...

There is so much information out there about unemployment and we tend to focus so much on the numbers being released weekly. However here is another take on unemployment that explores the impact of unemployment in Singles versus the married. Read More...

There is so much talk about layoffs and Unemployment is at nearly 10% but what many do not realize is that there are still jobs out there. While many of these jobs are jobs that people do not want or are “overqualified for”, many jobs are still for the taking. Or at least that is the perception which also might not be the only true reality. Read More...

With a difficult job market for many, jobseekers are looking for ways to have an edge when it comes to finding job openings and landing a job. The traditional job tools of using classified ads and job boards are still useful, but you will have to open that toolbox a little further to get the most up to date and personal job hunting tools. One of the latest trends in job hunting involves Twitter. Read More...

Today’s jobless claims report wasn’t as good as hoped for as 551,000 jobless claims were reported last week, or 17,000 more than the reported number the previous week. On the brighter side of this report, the four-week jobless claims moving average continued to decline and now stands at 548,000, which is 6450 less than the previously reported number. Read More...

While discussing the job openings and job seekers ratio during yesterday's post, there was a mention of the percentage of laid off who actually collect unemployment benefits. Let's take a closer look at that percentage. Across the United States, only 37 percent of workers who lose their jobs typically collect unemployment benefits, according to U.S. Labor Department statistics... Read More...

Yesterday’s post highlighted states that are eligible to receive unemployment extensions of up to 13 weeks. Indicated briefly was the fact that there are many more job seekers than available jobs, so let’s look at that disturbing fact more closely. Read More...

This is an article published in the Wall Street Journal that was very relevant to the importance of networking. We wanted to share with our readers. I am one of the many individuals who landed a position that was never posted on a careers Web site or external job board. I found my current job via a series of informational lunches and breakfasts that finally led to an official interview and an offer... Read More...

Congress passed legislation extending unemployment benefits another 13 weeks, but only for those living in the 27 states with an unemployment rate exceeding 8.5%. If other states reach unemployment of 8.5%, then they will be eligible for the 13-week extension. In some states, such as NY, that brings the total number of weeks that some may be eliigible for unemployment benefits to 85 weeks. Read More...

President of AllPinkSlips.com was on 97.3 Coast FM in Miami this morning. He was discussing the website and taking calls from listeners on questions and concerns about the current marketplace. Discussion ranged from ways to make yourself stand out from other job seekers to how to prepare a resume that works and so much more. The ladies were great and the time spent with Coast FM was once again a success.

In last week's closing post I discussed how trickle down economic have failed miserably and that it's now time to use trickle up economics. First a short description of both... Read More...

As with most Thursdays, today we had the jobless claims report. The headlines seemed ecstatic that there were "only" 550,000 jobless claims last week. While that was the 35th week in a row of claims above 500,000, it was greeted with some enthusiasm since it was a lower number than expected by 15,000. What is equally surprising is that the revised number for last week was higher at 576,000 or 6,000 more than reported. Read More...

Today's numbers came in a little better than expected, which is good news, but the reported jobless claims number is still a brutal 545,000. The number that is more surprising to me is that continuing claims increased by 123,000 to 6.23 million. Why I'm surprised at that number is that tens of thousands are now exhausting their unemployment benefits. So even though thousands are exhausting benefits and falling off the rolls, the continuing claims number increased by 123,000. Read More...

According to the following NYT article, no jobs are safe from the grip of this recession. The reasons for that are somewhat obvious, since this is the worst recession since the Great Depression, but there are some who never dreamed that they would be part of the laid off masses. Read More...

With health care being the center of media attention these past couple months and with President Obama presenting his much anticipated health care reform speech this evening, I thought it was a good idea to go over the COBRA package that is available for the unemployed and is part of this year's stimulus package. Read More...

The work environment plays a huge role in how we conduct our daily lives, but with less loyalty between company and employee the thought of each side looking out for the other diminishes, and that's especially true in a recessionary period. Also, with so many jobs being outsourced, the company/employee bond is further strained. Read More...

This week I covered some of the laughing basics when it comes to the workplace: how to laugh, acceptable humor, the benefits of humor and hiring humor. With the holiday weekend upon us, I'll end the work week with a few laughs courtesy of our many talented editorial cartoonists. Read More...

With job losses continuing to outpace job creation, those left on the job are feeling less secure and more anxious. I mentioned yesterday that humor is very personal and what is funny to me may not garner laughs from others. While humor differences among friends and family may be something easily tossed aside, humor differences in the workplace could cause problems. Read More...

This week we continue with the lighter side. Yesterday we learned how to laugh, so today we'll try and put that new found talent to work. What is funny to one person may be absolutely deadpan to someone else. I have always been a fan of Monty Python and I would laugh at their antics for hours, but my parents would try and watch Monty Python skits and they would not laugh at all. After about 30 seconds they would get up from the sofa and walk away while shaking their heads bemusedly. Read More...

We have all heard the saying that laughter is the best medicine, so today we'll take a look at how laughter is being used to help people deal with stressful situations. Laughter appears to be very good medicine: Read More...

This week we have looked at some of the more depressing sides of unemployment; foreclosure, abandoned pets and suicide. For many, unemployment is at best a stressful situation, for many others the affects are more troubling. We'll end this series by looking at how domestic violence cases increase along with the unemployment rate. Read More...

When it comes to job loss and financial stress, many people find the process difficult to bear, but they struggle through as best they can. Tragically, during this recession, there are an increasing number of individuals that have lost all hope and decide to end their lives at the workplace: Read More...

Yesterday the discussion focused on foreclosure and its link to unemployment. While statistics weren't available, there was ample evidence that unemployment does account for increasing foreclosure activity. Today's topic will involve our furry friends and how they are affected by unemployment and foreclosure. Read More...

This week the discussion will revolve around some of the more tragic outcomes of job loss. While the MSM seems to be more focused on the "green shoots" mantra or the over-the-top displays - on both sides of the debate - at health care town halls, the MSM isn't using its bandbox to give its viewers the reality of our current economic crises. If you are looking for a cheery read this week, you may want to focus on other areas of Allpinkslips, since this week's stories will not be of the lighter, rose-colored-glasses variety. Read More...

This week you've been presented with information about ways to grab that perfect job. So far you've been shown how to prepare for the job hunt, the interview and the job offer. Now we'll end the week and this series with how to negotiate, accept or reject the job offer. In the current economic job climate it's more likely that most will accept a job offer, since there aren�t enough jobs to go around. Read More...

As we continue with this week's series on how to approach the job search, let's look at what to do with a job offer. Yesterday was interview-day and all went well, so well in fact that the company is prepared to make you an offer. You have already decided that this is a company that you could work for, your supervisor and the employees seem friendly and engaging, and its location meets your commuting requirements. What you don't know is what salary and benefits package they will offer. Read More...

In the last two posts we discussed the virtues of hiring a resume writer and career coach to improve your job hunting success. Well you spent the big bucks and are now seeing some results as a couple of firms have contacted you to schedule an interview! Yes, the often dreaded interview, the place where you are judged, analyzed, probed, prodded and pass/failed all in the matter of minutes. Since you have made it to the interview stage, make certain you are prepared for the part. Read More...

Monday's post focused on the merits of using a professional resume writer, instead of trying to write the resume yourself. In this post I will continue that theme with career coaching and if there is merit in their use. Why would you hire a career coach? (Warning: some of the following is from the point of view of career coaches) Read More...

These are certainly difficult times to look for a job and so it takes a certain touch to stand out from the crowd enough to be noticed, but not to the point of being avoided. It's a little like that first date, where you want to impress your date with some special courtesies and a little flair, but you don't usually want to buy that first date a diamond and have an airplane spell their name in smoke across the sky. And what would be even worse is giving them cubic zirconia and spelling their name wrong across the sky! Read More...

During difficult economic times many laid-off and underemployed individuals set their sights on starting a small business. Owning a small business can be rewarding, but you need to be prepared before throwing good money and time at a business venture, especially in a down economy. Read More...

It seems that many are doing just that as they feel a personal shame and embarrassment after getting pink-slipped, as can be seen from the following... Read More...

While many more people are out of work, there is an increase in volunteerism, which seems to go against the usual tide according to Corporation for National and Community Service's (CNCS) Volunteering in America. Read More...

While the national unemployment rate garners the most attention, each state has its own economic issues. Midwest states such as Michigan and Ohio have (or had) a large manufacturing footprint, states in the Southeast like South Carolina and Georgia are textile centers, while Nevada and Arizona, states in the Southwest, are more heavily dependent on commercial and real estate development. Each of these areas has seen significant increases in unemployment from a year earlier. Read More...

An important unemployment issue, especially to those who have been collecting unemployment benefits for an extended period, is the matter of when those benefits are exhausted. Currently about 6.3 million people are collecting unemployment, but by December about 1.5 million people will exhaust their unemployment benefits unless another federal extension is granted. Read More...

Today's unemployment rate decline surprise is welcome news, but let's get below the surface and see the details before we get too excited about the improvement. Read More...