They also report that the unemployment rate actually went down from 4.9% in January to 4.8%  in February, indicating that hundreds of thousands of people stopped bothering to look for work. Hard hit sectors:  construction, manufacturing, retailing, financial services and professional and business services.

Better sectors:  education, health care, leisure and hospitality and the government.

The AP notes that the troubled job market  “Certainly solidifies the notion that the economy has fallen into a recession,” said Ken Mayland, economist at ClearView Economics.

A silver lining (if there is one), as economists predicted, workers with jobs showed slight wage gains, to to $17.80 in February, a 0.3 percent increase from the previous month.  The AP reminds us that these tiny increases don’t go far when prices for gas, food and other necessities continue to rise.

All of this information should re-focus the job seeker (and job holder) on the importance of a well run job search (and strong performance at work).  If you are an unemployed worker, consider alternatives to dropping out of the search – Keppie Careers  offers ideas for how to recession proof your career, suggestions of the best careers for today’s economy, information about what to do next if you’ve lost your job, rules for job hunting in a recession and tips if your search is going on and on.  

Be sure that your job search is on the right track.  Keppie Careers will write your resume,  help you with your correspondence and coach you through your interview and job hunt.  When you find your job, you will agree that seeking help is a great investment in yourself.