Bleak Jobs Report Raises Red Flags on Recovery

Employment picture likely to remain grim for years, and predicting winning industries is a challenge

(NEWSER) - The job market is likely to be grim for years to come—economists expect that even if job creation returned to the brisk pace of the ‘90s, unemployment wouldn’t return to 5% until 2017. And for many of the unemployed, the numbers belie the real problem: The positions they're trained for may be gone forever. The real estate and finance industries, for example, will probably never support as many employees as they did before the recession. More»

(NEWSER) - If the downturn has you considering a “recession-proof” job like teaching or medicine, think again, Greg Burns writes in the Chicago Tribune. The recession has affected all sectors, from layoffs and lower enrollment at educational institutions to dwindling state budgets choking civil servants. “It’s a question of degree,” one expert says. “I really don’t believe there is any such thing as recession-proof.” More»

Auto industry, real estate among worst fields

(NEWSER) - Want to keep your job this year? Steer clear of these professions, which a new study says will be hard-hit by the recession, Australia's News Network reports:

• Car salesperson
• Real estate agent
• Investment banker
• Prawn fisherman

Factory workers hit hardest as unforeseen fall in jobs stuns economy

(NEWSER) - Jobless figures came in worse than expected today, sending the unemployment rate to a nearly five-year high of 6.1%, Bloomberg reports. The US lost 84,000 jobs in August, the eighth straight month of declines, raising the specter of a worsening economic slowdown. The jump in unemployment, which was expected to remain unchanged, coupled with tight credit and falling consumer spending, could bring economic expansion to a standstill. More»

August payroll drop shows subprime crisis affecting economy

(NEWSER) - In the first drop since 2003, the US lost 4,000 jobs in August, surprising experts and putting more pressure on the Fed to reduce rates at its upcoming meeting. Economists had predicted an increase of 100,000 or more jobs. The decline in employment is the clearest signal to date that the housing recession and credit crunch are hurting the broader economy, Bloomberg reports. More»