shrinking workforce

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67% of Men Had Jobs in 2010—a New Low

Overall percentage of working Americans is down to 45.4%

(Newser) - A mere 45.4% of Americans were working in 2010, the lowest rate since women started flooding into the workforce in the 1980s, according to a new analysis from USA Today . The figure, down from a peak of 49.3% in 2000, indicates that a combination of a bad economy...

Jobless Masses a Boon for Employers
Jobless Masses a Boon
for Employers

Jobless Masses a Boon for Employers

Companies can hire better workers, pay less

(Newser) - High unemployment isn’t bad for everyone. Many companies are taking advantage of the jobless masses, hiring extremely motivated workers at discount rates, Bloomberg reports. “Companies are getting higher-productivity employees for the same or lower wage rate they were paying a marginal employee,” explains one investment strategist. “...

Unemployment Will Probably Miss 10%: Silver
Unemployment Will Probably Miss 10%: Silver
Analysis

Unemployment Will Probably Miss 10%: Silver

(Newser) - Lots of economists are predicting that unemployment, which at last count hung at 9.4%, will hit 10% before the calendar changes, but Nate Silver of FiveThirtyEight.com disagrees. For that to happen, the economy would need to lose another million jobs or so, and "the jobs picture is...

Etiquette for 2009: Don't Mention Your Job

Unemployment straining friendships

(Newser) - The onetime small-talk staple “So, how's the job going?” is liable to get you into trouble these days, reports Newsweek. Rising unemployment is straining friendships as the haves learn to interact with the have-nots. Among 30- and 40-somethings, discussing luxurious vacation plans is not a good idea, and for...

Tough Times Force Gen Y to Buckle Down
 Tough Times Force 
 Gen Y to Buckle Down 
Glossies

Tough Times Force Gen Y to Buckle Down

Young talent may have to stay put, but Managers need to keep them engaged

(Newser) - They're just out of school, but Millennials—the Gen Y techies who expect jobs-a-plenty and accommodating bosses—are hitting career walls in a plunging economy, the Economist reports. These Internet-savvy job-hoppers are cringing as managers get tough and autonomy withers. “The recession is creating lower turnover, but also higher...

Goldman Sachs to Cut Staff 10%
 Goldman Sachs to Cut Staff 10% 

Goldman Sachs to Cut Staff 10%

Restructuring bank will trim 3,000 employees

(Newser) - Goldman Sachs will cut almost 3,300 jobs, or about 10% of the bank's total staff, an insider told Reuters today. Although Goldman has weathered the credit crisis better than its competitors, its transition from an investment bank to a traditional enterprise means that it will have to obey stricter...

In Japan, Robots Tackle the Dirty Work

As workforce shrinks, machines gain favor over immigrants

(Newser) - With the birthrate sinking and the government showing no inclination to loosen immigration restrictions, Japanese businesses are turning to science for help with the impending worker shortage. The London Times visits a Tokyo exhibition that showcases the possible answer: robots. "Robots do the D-work"--dirty, dangerous, and difficult--"that...

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