It's time for those 2009 Trend predictions... Share your Secrets...

LB and Ankesh, thanks.

Re unemployment. I wonder how these Numbers are figured out.

And agree that those who want to work will find work, while those who don't will find nothing.

Cases in point...

Friend's brother. Jobless. Has been for 9 months now. Can't find a job. Let me clarify... cannot find a middle/upper management job he can walk right in to. So Chooses to remain jobless.

Fellow is on the Dole for 10 years. Says, after trying for 1,000 jobs he cannot find one. I quickly calculate... 100 jobs a year is 2 a week. Minimum requirement to get the dole is Try for 2 jobs a week. And trying can be as simple as a Phone Call...

Hi, I'm calling about the Brain Surgeon position. Is it gone yet?

In the end the Dole Office gave him a job working for them.

He could easily have signed with any number of Labor Hire businesses and would have been working the very next day. Laboring. But hey, don't knock it unless you've tried it. And some laborers make $80k a year down here. Some make less. But $50 - $60k is easily achievable for a laborer. Office workers get paid $40k if they are lucky, more like $30k. And most spend years in Uni to get a degree so they can look down on grubby laborers.

If you want to work, you'll find work. If not, you'll find excuses. Then you can blame the recession and riot in the street

Michael Ross