Younger Baby Boomers Hurt Most by Recession

The economic climate of the past few years has been tough on everyone, but not everyone is coming out of the recent recession on equal footing. A study done by the market research firm Mintel shows that for those ages 45-54 (younger baby boomers and older Gen Xers) the recovery will definitely take longer.

A full 39 percent, the highest in any age group, say they worry more about retirement now than ever before. Also, 47 percent of that group (vs. 33 percent overall) say they "have only been spending money on necessities" for at least a year. And then there's the 51 percent of this age demographic (compared to 44 percent overall), who say they intend to permanently decrease the amount of unnecessary "stuff" they will buy in the future.

"This last recession has definitely not treated everyone equally," states Susan Menke, vice president and behavioral economist at Mintel. "One reason could be that the younger boomers are the age group that was just getting started when the severe double dip recessions of the 1980s hit, and they have never fully recovered. Another reason may be that this is the 'sandwich' generation, burdened with educational expenses for their kids and, for some, health care costs for aging parents."

People who fall into this age group are too young to take early retirement, and too old to be able to make up for their savings losses by the time they reach normal retirement age. It's a sad fact that some may not ever fully recover.

Menke adds, "We continue to see numbers indicating that the recession was a wake-up call across age groups, just in different ways. Everyone is more concerned about having adequate funds to retire after this recession. Unlike the baby boomers, however, younger age groups are able to do something about it."

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By Lisa Johnson Mandell,

Tech industry searching for girls gone geek

Societal values, not aptitude, may be turning them away from sciences

Mattel recently conducted an online poll asking girls everywhere to choose Barbie's next occupation from the following choices -- surgeon, architect, news anchor, environmentalist and computer engineer.

The overwhelming choice among the girls was news anchor. But adults in the blogosphere, on Twitter and Facebook launched their own campaign for computer engineer Barbie.

Mattel relented and decided to go with both, news anchor and computer engineer Barbie. "We couldn't ignore the outcry," said Michelle Chidoni, a spokeswoman for the company.

The Barbie brouhaha points to a key conundrum today when it comes to women and professions in science and technology. Many people see a need for more females in so-called STEM professions (science, technology, engineering and math). But fewer and fewer young women seem to be gravitating to such jobs, thanks in part to the geek factor.

Sandra Guo, 22, always loved video games when she was in high school, but she never thought of pursuing a career in computer science because she felt it wasn't for girls. Even her mother discouraged her. "When I first enrolled in college she was opposed for me taking computer science as a major," she recalled. "She said I'd never find a boyfriend."

This mentality is not unusual.

Scientists of all sorts get a bum rap in society, especially on TV, said Alicia Abella, executive director of the innovative services research department at AT&T Labs. She also heads the company's fellowship program, which provides mentoring and full tuition for women and underrepresented minorities who want to pursue a Ph.D. in STEM fields.

"It's either a man in a white lab coat with funky hair like Einstein or a cartoonish character," she noted. "What girl wants to look like that?"

Indeed, only about 17 percent of girls take advanced placement tests in computer science while in high school, the lowest level of females among all such exams, according to the National Center for Women & Information Technology. And in 2008, women earned only 18 percent of computer science degrees, compared to 37 percent in 1985.

To counter the dismal statistics, there's "a movement to reclaim the notion of 'geek,'" said Amanda Stent, a computational linguistics researcher at AT&T Labs and co author of "The Princess at the Keyboard: Why Girls Should Become Computer Scientists."

Both Abella and Stent are part of a group of women at AT&T Labs who have made it their mission to encourage more young women to fall in love with science and technology.

Stent, who was associate professor in the computer science department at Stony Brook University in New York, met Guo during her junior year at the school and convinced Guo to stick with computer science when she was considering switching her major to art.

"I didn't like the environment," Guo said about her computer classes. "Everybody was a boy and the people weren't very social. I was considering dropping computer science completely."

But Stent took Guo under her wing, introducing her to other faculty members and connecting her with events at the department where she could socialize. She also told her about all the interesting work that was being done in the field, including Stent's own work analyzing human dialogue with computers.

It worked. Guo is set to graduate with a computer science degree in May.

"Some young women may turn away from science and technology careers because of a perception that people in those careers spend long hours working alone on esoteric ideas in a laboratory or computer room and no, or not enough, time collaborating with others or making positive changes in the world," Stent maintained. "But in fact, engineers, scientists and technologists most frequently work in groups and often create products that benefit society and build community."

Last week, a host of companies across the country participated in "Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day."

Educators are also reaching out. Earlier this month, Steve Patchin, director of youth programs, outreach, and engagement at Michigan Technological University, hosted "Get WISE" (Women in Science and Engineering), which brings middle school girls to campus for a hands-on day of learning.

"The main goal of events like Get WISE is to show girls that a field like engineering can be whatever they make of it, and they have the talent needed to excel," he said. "They get to create and experiment for themselves and see that technology and engineering are great areas not just for those who want to build things, but for those who want to make a difference in the world."

It's about exposing girls to science and technology, mentoring them, and not allowing naysayers to derail their love of the sciences, said Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, and a strong advocate of girls in STEM professions.

Ride hosted a "Introduce a Girl to Engineering" day at ExxonMobil last week and has worked with the energy firm through her company Sally Ride Science, to introduce youth to the sciences and train teachers on the importance of countering stereotypes in the professions.

"What we know, is a lot of girls in third and fourth grade are interested in science, about the same number as boys at that age," she explained. "Then about fifth and sixth grade, those wonderful middle school years, we start to lose girls, but not for reasons of aptitude. The reasons are often more societal."

Fear of failure and the lack of role models could also be driving the disinterest among girls.

Kristen Lamoreaux, founder of SIM Women, part of the Society for Information Management, an association of nearly 4,000 CIOs, offered a personal anecdote: "According to my 13 year old niece, she is not going into a STEM focused role because, 'I don't like to be wrong and I want to stand out.' She said that when everyone in her Math class does the same problem, they all get the same answer. In Literature, everyone can write on the same topic, but variety is expected and it's possible to stand out based upon your talents."

While Lamoreaux's niece acknowledged the designers who did things like design apps for her iPhone were creative, she didn't see any female role models. Her niece was able to name five favorite female authors but couldn't name five female CIOs.

"I believe there is a lack of visible examples of successful women in technology," Lamoreaux continued, "and that it is imperative for every woman in IT to reach out to young women. Women of all ages benefit from mentorship, but even if there were simply a heroine that young girls could aspire to emulate, I think young women would better understand the options available to them and we'd see more of a change across the industry."

At a time when the economy is leaving many recent grads without jobs, opportunities are still plentiful in a host of STEM careers.

Guo already has a job, as a programmer for Google, and she hasn't even graduated.

As for her mom's perceptions of her career choice now: "My mother is very proud of me. A lot of her friend's children who graduated are still looking for jobs. She now says, 'my girl got an offer from Google. She's so smart.'"

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By Eve Tahmincioglu

Want Prestigious Work?

What to Seek and What to Avoid

Let's admit it: We all need to feel special sometimes. Well, if you're a firefighter, scientist or teacher, you should.  After all, a new Harris poll indicates that plenty of Americans already think you are. 

U.S. adults, according to a recent survey by Harris Interactive, see firefighters, scientists and teachers as the most prestigious occupations while bankers, actors and real estate agents are the least prestigious occupations. The 2007 "Most Prestigious Occupations" poll measured the public perceptions of 23 professions.

Participants were asked to rank these professions as having "very great prestige," "considerable prestige," "some prestige," or "hardly any prestige at all."  They could also opt not to rank them or say they weren't sure. 

Sixty-one percent of adults consider firefighters to have "very great prestige," making this occupation the most prestigious on the list. Five other occupations were ranked as having "very great prestige" by over 50 percent of the adults surveyed: Scientists and teachers are considered very prestigious by 54 percent of adults, followed by doctors and military officers, who earn the prestige of 52 percent of Americans, and nurses, whom half of all adults consider very prestigious.

Among the least prestigious occupations are real estate brokers, actors and bankers.  Only 5 percent of survey participants ranked real estate brokers as very prestigious; 9 percent gave actors this label, followed by 10 percent for bankers.  Accountants, entertainers, stockbrokers,union leaders, journalists, business executives and athletes all also ranked low on the list: Less than 20 percent of adults consider any of the aforementioned occupations to have "very great prestige."

Consequently, five occupations are perceived to have "hardly any prestige at all" by at least a quarter of adults: stockbrokers (25 percent), union leaders (30 percent), entertainers (31 percent), real estate brokers (34 percent) and actors (38 percent).

Harris Interactive started conducting its "Most Prestigious Careers" survey in 1977 and included only 11 professions. The most significant change since the survey's inception is that, with the exception of teachers and clergy, the perceived prestige of every one of the original 11 occupations has actually decreased over the years. The most drastic drop occurred among scientists, lawyers and athletes, whose prestige dropped by 12 points, 14 points and 10 points, respectively.  Clergy members are considered prestigious by one percentage point more of the population than they were 30 years ago, while teachers' perceived prestige increased by 25 percent. 

Understandably, the year-to-year changes are less drastic.  Scientists' perceived prestige hasn't changed in the last year, and despite a significant jump from 1977, teachers' perceived prestige has increased by only two percentage points.  Bankers and athletes showed the most drastic drop in prestige: Both are down seven points from last year.  The profession that saw the biggest increase in prestige from 2006 was that of farmers, who rose five points.

While the survey measures the degree to which certain occupations are considered prestigious, it offers no indication as to why people consider certain occupations more prestigious than others.   For more information and to see the complete results of the survey, visitwww.harrisinteractive.com.

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By MaryLorenz,

Too Good to Be True? 6 Common Job Scams

Lured by convenience and seemingly easy money, more and more people are falling prey to job scams. Particularly vulnerable are people who want or need to work from home and those who are looking supplement their income. Those who fall victim can suffer serious consequences including debt collection and criminal charges. Work-at-home scams are varied and can be more difficult to detect. They come in many different forms and change regularly. To protect yourself, it's important to be aware of the various scams lurking and what to do if you suspect you discover one. 

Here are six of today's most common job scams:

1. Nigerian Check Cashing Scam
The Nigerian check cashing scam usually involves transferring funds internationally. The scam artist attempts to reassure the victim by offering apparently legal contracts, forged or false documents bearing company letterhead, false letters of credit, payment schedules and bank drafts. Once the scammer has obtained the victim's trust, checks, money orders or wire deposits are sent to the victim for "processing." The victim is asked to cash the check or money order (wire deposits will send the money directly to the victim's account) and send a percentage of the funds back to its origination. The need for the "middle man" is often explained as being a way around international fees or taxes. Once the funds are sent back to the scammers (usually the victim is told to keep a percentage for themselves, as payment for their services), the victim's bank or financial institution learns that the check/money order/wire transfer was fraudulent. The funds are then subtracted from the victim's account and he or she is made liable for the lost money.

2. Reshipping
Reshipping scams often begin with an employment offer, usually via e-mail. As with the Nigerian scam, these "employers" offer bogus contracts and other documentation to make them appear legitimate. Once the victim's trust has been obtained, packages are shipped to the victim's residence with instructions to reship the packages to another address. Once the package has been reshipped, the victim is "guilty" of receiving and shipping stolen property. This often leads to a visit from police, as the return address or shipping receipts lead back to the victim.

3. Envelope Stuffing Scams
These scams usually incorporate a "registration fee" which must be paid before work begins. Once this fee has been paid, the "employee" is asked to post an ad -- often the exact same ad that the "employee" responded to -- using his or her own contact info. Once the "employee" receives a response to their ad, he or she will stuff an envelope with information/instructions on how to get started and mail it to the new applicant. The victim is "paid" based on the number of responses received from the ad.

4. Medical Billing
Advertisements for these prepackaged businesses always contain an initial financial investment. The ad or solicitation explains that only a small percentage of medical claims are transmitted electronically and that the market for medical billing is wide open. In reality, the medical billing industry is fierce and revolves around several large and well-established firms. Because competition is so prevalent, few consumers who purchase medical billing business opportunities are able to locate clients to generate enough revenue to profit, and they usually can't even earn enough to recover their initial financial investment.

5. Work-at-Home Job Lists
These scams claim to sell lists of companies that are hiring for work-at-home positions. These lists are rarely updated and often yield a list of worthless leads.

6. Phishing
Phishing scams are cleverly hidden attempts to get your account information. These e-mails appear legitimate -- with professional-looking company logos and information -- and often claim that there is an urgent need for you to log into your account and verify personal information. If you receive one of these e-mails, check the destination URL on the provided link before attempting to login or submit any information; the links could actually lead the recipient to a false Web site. The victim may be asked to update their banking information or other sensitive information, which the site owner (aka scammer) will use for any number of illegal purposes.

Protect yourself
Before you send any money responding to job ads or completing job placement contracts, the Better Business Bureau offers the following tips to help job seekers avoid these types of scams:

·  Avoid job listings that use these descriptions: "package forwarding," "reshipping," "money transfers," "wiring funds" and "foreign agent agreements." These and similar phrases should raise a red flag.

·  Do not be fooled by official-sounding corporate names. Some scam artists operate under names that sound like those of long-standing, reputable firms.

·  Never forward or transfer money from any of your personal accounts on behalf of your employer. Also, be suspicious if you are asked to "wire" money to an employer. If a legitimate job requires you to make money transfers, the money should be withdrawn from the employer's business account, not yours.

·  Do not give out your personal financial information. A potential legitimate employer will not request your bank account, credit card or Paypal account number. Only provide your banking information if you are hired by a legitimate company and you choose to have your paycheck direct deposited.

·  Do not fax copies of your ID or Social Security number to someone you have never met. Credit checks and fake IDs can be obtained with this information. Only give these documents to your employer when you are physically at the place of employment.

·  If you have questions about the legitimacy of a job listing, contact your Better Business Bureau, your state or local consumer agency or the Federal Trade Commission.

By Michael Hargis

Success Without a College Degree?

Six Hot Shots Who Made It

Many think the only way to succeed is through education. While piling on the degrees can earn you piles of dough -- and debt -- it's not the only option.

Some of today's most successful people don't have a college degree. But what they lack in academic credentials, they make up for in tenacity, brains, guts and strong business sense.

Richard Branson
In 1970, Richard Branson founded Virgin as a mail order record retailer, and not long afterward he opened a record shop in London. Two years later, the first Virgin artist, Mike Oldfield, recorded "Tubular Bells." Since then many household names, including Ben Harper, Fatboy Slim, Perry Farrell, Gorillaz, Lenny Kravitz, Janet Jackson and The Rolling Stones have helped to make Virgin Music one of the top record companies in the world.

Branson sold the equity of Virgin Music Group -- record labels, music publishing and recording studios -- in 1992 in a $1 billion deal, but he remains chairman of Virgin Group, which today includes Virgin Atlantic, Books, Games, LifeCare, Limousines, Megastores and Hotels.

Barry Diller
Barry Diller started his career in the mail room of the William Morris Agency after dropping out of UCLA after one semester. He was hired by ABC in 1966 where he created the ABC Movie of the Week, pioneering the concept of the made-for-television movie.

At age 32, he became president of Paramount Pictures, which produced a string of successful television shows (Laverne and Shirley, Taxi, Cheers) and feature films (Saturday Night Fever, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Beverly Hills Cop) under his helm. From 1984 to 1992, he was chairman and CEO of Fox Studios and was responsible for creating the Fox Broadcasting Company. Today, Diller is the chairman of Expedia and the chairman and CEO of IAC/InterActiveCorp, which includes Citysearch, Evite, Home Shopping Network, Lending Tree, Match.com and Ticketmaster .

Matt Drudge
Pundit, blogger and radio personality Matt Drudge is best known as the proprietor of the Drudge Report Web site. "The only good grades I got in school were for current events," he has said of his education. Drudge opted out of college and floated among a number of odd jobs including convenience store clerk, book salesman and grocery store sales assistant.

In 1989, he moved to Los Angeles and took a job in the gift shop of CBS studios, eventually working his way up to manager. The inside scoop he learned while in this position was allegedly part of the inspiration for founding his gossip rag The Drudge Report. The tabloid made gained notoriety when it was the first to break the news of a relationship between White House intern Monica Lewinsky and President Bill Clinton in 1998.

Janus Friis
Named to Time Magazine's 2006 list of 100 most influential people, Janus Friis holds no formal education. He worked at the help desk of CyberCity, one of Denmark's first ISPs and later worked at Tele2, the leading alternative consumer oriented pan-European telecom operator. It was at Tele2 where Friis met Niklas Zennström, with whom he co-founded the file-sharing application KaZaA and Skype, the peer-to-peer telephony application. In early 2006, Friis and Zennström sold Skype to eBay for $2.6 billion.

Rachael Ray
Rachael Ray's career started at Macy's department store, first at the candy counter and then as the manager of the fresh foods department. Ray quickly followed with stints in gourmet markets and restaurants in New York. At gourmet food market Cowan & Lobel, she began a series of cooking classes -- 30 Minute Meals. Those classes became so popular that she was soon doing weekly segments for the evening news.

Today, Ray is an Emmy-winning television personality who hosts a nationally syndicated talk show and four different programs the Food Network, publishes her own magazine, and has written multiple cookbooks.

Jeff Valdez
Named one of AdAge's Marketing 50 in 2005, Jeff Valdez grew up the youngest of nine children in a housing project in Pueblo, Colorado. As a young adult, he moved through several jobs and ended up as a drummer with a lounge band called Wildfire. Valdez later returned to Colorado after about 10 years of touring and opened a comedy club where he did stand-up. In 1990, he threw his hat into the political ring and made a failed bid for mayor of Colorado Springs. But in 2004, he launched Si TV, the first all-English language network targeting a Hispanic audience.

Anna Wintour
Best identified by her trademark sunglasses and pageboy hairstyle, Anna Wintour is an icon of the fashion world. She reportedly attended North London Collegiate School, but never graduated. She started in 1970 working in the fashion department of Harpers and Queen in London. In 1976, she was named fashion editor of Harper's Bazaar, followed by a brief stint at New York Magazine, three years as creative director of American Vogue, and finally named editor of British Vogue in 1986.

In 1998, she became editor-in-chief of American Vogue. Wintour's work style is so notorious, the novel "The Devil Wears Prada" and its subsequent motion picture are said to be based on her. In recent years, she's focused on many philanthropic endeavors including raising more than $10 million for AIDS, putting Vogue's support behind women-owned businesses in Kabul, Afganistan, and promoting various post-9/11 campaigns.

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By Kate Lorenz

17 Amazing Holiday Gifts Under $20

Who says a great gift has to cost a lot? Take care of everyone on your "nice list" from the kids in your life to the stylish hostess for under $20 each with these fun gift picks!

Mad Men: The Illustrated World

$9.00, Amazon.com

Know someone who's already counting down the days until the next season of Mad Men? Keep him preoccupied with this interactive coffee table book, which is filled with little-known facts about the show, artwork from advertising's heyday, and (our favorite part) ingredients for making the perfect Manhattan.

Sparkling Pave Dome Studs

$16, UrbanOutfitters.com

What girl wouldn't love to find a bit of sparkle under her Christmas tree?! These brilliant earrings come at an equally brilliant price--$16.

Hot Chocolate-on-a-Stick

$18, Petrossian.com

Sweets are classic stocking stuffers, and what could be better than these delicious (and ingenious!) gourmet Belgian-chocolate cubes? We’re salivating just looking at them!

Handlebar Mustache Corkscrew

$10, PerpetualKid.com

The ‘stache is back! Only this time, it’s not just a fashion statement. It’s also a finely crafted corkscrew and bottle opener. Your uncle's beverage containers are no match for the sheer power of a manly mustache!

Play-Doh Magic Swirl Ice Cream Shoppe

Starting at $10, Yahoo! Shopping

Your little one will feel like a gourmet confectionery chef with this Play-Doh ice-cream kit, complete with a soft-serve extruder and sprinkle-maker.

Eco Cup

$20, UrbanOutfitters.com

Perfect for coffee drinkers and tea enthusiasts (especially those who are eco-conscious), this reusable porcelain cup insulates hot and cold liquids with a silicone lid that seals tightly.

Keep Calm and Rock On Poster

$17, theposterlist.com

The ever-popular "Keep Calm and Carry On" print gets a rock-star remix in this eye-catching version. Give this poster to the music-lover in your life to let her know how much she really rocks!

I’m Not Bored Anymore Art Jar

$20, landofnod.com

Perfect for the little artist who's always on the hunt for his next project, this jar is chock-full of all the crafting supplies needed to cure winter-day boredom!

Boardwalk Empire: The Birth, High Times, and corruption of Atlantic City

Starting at $10, Yahoo! Shopping

If your loved one is like us, she is slightly obsessed with HBO's new hit show Boardwalk Empire. Give them this fascinating read, which is the inspiration for the series!

Basic Convertible Glove

Starting at $12, UrbanOutfitters.com

You can't go wrong with these versatile one-size-fits-all fingerless gloves as gifts. These convertibles feature fold-over mitten coverings and detailed buttons for a stylishly snug look.

How to make Balloon Animals Kit

$10, fatbraintoys.com

Looking for an offbeat gift for an office party or Secret Santa exchange? Try this entertaining kit!

Pearl in Wire Nest Ring

$20, TopShop.com

Got a friend who's known for wearing standout jewelry? Add to her collection with this stunning pearl piece!

Baroque Noir Candlestick Lighter

$14, Plasticland.com

The design maven with a love for Baroque accents will swoon over this decorative candlestick-shaped lighter!

Zubbles: Colored Bubbles

$7, PerpetualKid.com

The magic of bubbles and the beauty of color have been combined to form Zubbles. When the dye is exposed to air, water, or pressure, it disappears, giving kids hours of fun (and you zero mess to clean)!

Cardinal Industries Twilight Eclipse - The Board Game

Starting at $12.39, Yahoo! Shopping

Any teeny bopper with vampire-fever knows that you can never get enough of Twilight goodies! This board game will go perfectly with the DVDs, books, posters, beauty products, and clothing items every Twi-hard must have!

Next Betsey Fashion Designer

$9, ModCloth.com

Aspiring designers with a penchant for retro-inspired toys will love this gadget that makes creating different combinations of fashion drawings easy and fun.

Thomas & Friends Preschool Bathtub Squirters

$10, fisher-price.com

What little squirt doesn’t love to merge bath time with play time?! Thomas & Friends make excellent bathtub companions that will make washing fun!

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By Kaboodle.com

10 awesome employee perks ... and the companies that provide them

Before the Great Recession hit, many employees were used to job perks like lavish holiday parties, yearly pay raises and generous 401K plans. Now, most people are happy to have a job, let alone company-subsidized health insurance, bagel Fridays and on-site child care.

Yet, while most workers -- and their employers -- are getting used to downsized company perks, some companies refuse to lose the employee extras. We asked employees about their best job perks, and here's what we found out:

1. At the Birmingham, Ala. accounting firm of Barfield, Murphy, Shank & Smith, employees are provided with on-site laundry and dry cleaning services, door prizes at firm meetings, free snacks and soda, and birthday presents. During tax season the firm ups the ante, and throws in free massage therapy, on-site child care and catered meals.

2. Employees of Infusionsoft, an Arizona-based marketing software company, work in a converted warehouse that touts an indoor football field, basketball court, library and gym. The company also offers a daily, free cereal bar to all employees.

3. Summit Fiscal Agency has lots of young women on staff, so new mothers are allowed to bring babies up to nine-months old to the office.

4. Austin, Texas-based SpringBox, an interactive agency, lets employees bring their dogs to work on Fridays. The company also offers in-office showers and a creative room with shuffleboard and pool tables.

5. Sometimes, perks are just part of the business. Take employees of Ludus tours, for example. Because the company plans getaways for travelers to events like Germany's Oktoberfest and the Olympics, Ludus employees get free passes to amazing events around the world.

6. Rackspace, a webhosting company, has a "no dress code" policy -- every day.

7. Door Number 3, anadvertising agency, encourages a culture of "spontaneous fun," which includes spur-of-the-moment mariachi parties, where employees are treated to Mexican beer served from the office kegerator. The company also has annual "Talk like a pirate day," which is exactly what it sounds like.

8. Love music? Employees of New York City's Global Point Agency get free concert tickets.

9. If you're more of a comic-buff than a music-lover, a job at ComiXology -- a distributor of digital comics -- comes complete with new, free comic books every week.

10. Employees of Virginia-based Odis Technology get complimentary snacks like bagels and yogurt -- perfect fuel for the company-wide ski trip to Vail this January.


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By Kaitlin Madden,

Staff Reductions Continue to Trend Down in Q4

Although employers still feel optimistic about the economy and job market, the majority still plan to keep their staff levels the same for the remainder of the year, according to CareerBuilder and USA TODAY's Q4 2009 Job Forecast. The survey, conducted from August 20 to September 9, 2009 among more than 2,900 hiring managers and human resource professionals, also found that job loss should continue to moderate through the rest of year.

In the past few months, many companies have focused on cost containment while in the fourth quarter, these companies will shift their focus to growth. Employers who reduced staff levels or instituted pay cuts will begin to restore compensation levels and rehire employees. Although these indicate signs of economic recovery, hiring and recruitment strategies will move at a slower pace than normal until confidence in the nation's economy is restored.

Here are four employment trends to expect in the fourth quarter:

1. Hiring levels not likely to change
Eighteen percent of employers increased their full-time staff in the third quarter of this year, unchanged from the second quarter. There was an improvement in headcount reductions in the third quarter, as only 15 percent reported declining staff levels compared to 17 percent in the second quarter. Sixty-five percent of employers didn't change the number of employees.

Looking ahead to the fourth quarter of the year, staff reductions will continue to trend down, as only 10 percent of employers anticipate decreasing headcount. Seventeen percent expect to add full-time workers, 68 percent predict no change and 5 percent are undecided.

2. The South will add the most employees; the West will downsize the most
As a result of growth in healthcare, education and energy sectors, the South continues to produce more job opportunities as 19 percent plan to increase their number of full-time employees. Seventeen percent of employers in the Northeast and 15 percent in the Midwest plan to do the same.

In the West, which has been affected by the housing market crash and a slowdown in economic trade, only 14 percent of employers plan to add full-time staff. In addition, the West has the largest amount of employers planning to downsize staffs, with 14 percent expecting to downsize staff levels compared to 11 percent in the Midwest, 10 percent in the Northeast and 8 percent in the South.

3. Compensation levels remain conservative
Compensation increases continue to remain conservative in the next three months. Fifty-one percent of employers have no plans to increase or decrease salaries for full-time employees in the fourth quarter. Twenty-six percent plan to raise salaries between 1 and 3 percent; 12 percent of employers plan to give a 4 to 10 percent raise and 2 percent expect an increase of 11 percent or more. Just 6 percent of employers plan to invoke pay cuts.

4. Employers will rehire displaced workers and reverse pay cuts
While companies have realized the need to cut back on spending and hiring, they also acknowledge the need to remain competitive. As such, 27 percent of employers report having laid off workers in one area, but hiring in revenue-generating areas like technology, sales, customer service and research and development.

Additionally, of employers who had layoffs in the last 12 months, 26 percent say their company is planning to bring back some employees they let go earlier in the year. Of those rehiring workers, 23 percent extended job offers to displaced employees in the third quarter and 19 percent will do so in the fourth quarter.

Twenty-one percent will start bringing back laid off employees in the first quarter of 2010, 15 percent in the second quarter and 10 percent in the latter half of 2010.
About 18 percent of employers have implemented pay cuts in the past year; 5 percent of these employers restored pay levels in the third quarter and 12 percent plan to do so in the fourth quarter. Seventeen percent expect pay to return to normal in the first quarter of 2010, 7 percent guess it will be in the second quarter and another
7 percent predict the latter half of 20http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif10. Forty-one percent of employers are not sure when they will restore pay levels.

By Matt Ferguson,