While the continued news on layoffs in 2009 has been grim, a recent report sheds some light on people actually finding work.
The latest report from job site Careerbuilder says many who had lost their jobs in the last three months have found new employment.
From the study:
“According to a new survey by CareerBuilder completed in June, 48 percent of workers who were laid off from full-time jobs in the last three months have found new full-time positions; up from 41 percent in March. An additional three percent found part-time positions; down from 8 percent in the previous survey. The CareerBuilder survey was conducted among 921 workers who were laid off from full-time jobs within the last 12 months.“
The study also looked a few other key factors, notably, salaries. It found that 56 percent of those polled got comparable or higher salaries, though 44 percent took pay cuts–a fairly large number that cannot be ignored.
“Despite a challenging job market, workers have been able to find employment opportunities in a variety of fields,” said Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America, in a statement. “Even though the number of workers who took part-time positions is tracking below last quarter, the number who found full-time jobs is notably higher. This is a positive indication that more workers who were laid off from full-time jobs were able to replace them with new full-time positions instead of taking part-time work as an interim measure to generate income. Part of this job search success is related to workers expanding career options to new industries and locations.”
A blog about the study goes on to talk about to what lengths people are going to change their appearance for employment’s sake. From the blog:
“The competition for a smaller number of jobs is driving some workers to alter their everyday appearances in hopes of making a stronger impression. More than a quarter (28 percent) of workers who were laid off in the last 12 months said they have changed their appearance to make themselves more attractive to potential employers. Fourteen percent said they have lost weight, 8 percent have changed their hair color or hairstyle and 5 percent are dressing to appear younger. Teeth whitening, enhanced makeup and cosmetic procedures were also cited.“
The study also cites that one in five people are relocating to new cities.