Workplace

Finally, there is some good news on the job front, said Betsy Vereckey in the Associated Press. “Forecasters say more employers appear willing to hire in the coming months.” According to a recent survey from the National Association for Business Economics, 12 percent of firms say they’re adding jobs. That’s double the percentage that said so in July. Meanwhile, “job losses appear to be slowly abating,” with 31 percent of firms cutting payrolls in October, compared with 36 percent in July.

Sometimes, the companies doing the hiring are the same as the ones doing the firing, said Aleksandra Todorova in SmartMoney. “Companies cutting jobs are often hiring in some areas, even as they shrink in others, which means they can be overlooked but potentially a smart place to hunt.” This two-track strategy occurs when companies move facilities, shift focus, or “simply use the economic environment as an excuse to clean house.” So you shouldn’t “automatically write off” firms that are in the midst of layoffs. But you should find out what’s behind the layoffs and how that might “affect the position you’re pursuing.”

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