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Cruz Delgado installs a blower door at a condominium in Bridgeport Thursday, August 4, 2011. The n simulates 30 mph winds hitting the home from all sides and helps Delgado check for air leaks. Delgado, who exhausted 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, was recently hired as an energy conservation specialist with Gulick Building & Development.Photo: Autumn Driscoll/ Connecticut Post

Long-term unemployed losing options Some part-time jobs for earnin,Cruz Delgado uses a manometer to measure air movement at a condominium in Bridgeport Thursday, August 4, 2011. The pressure flow gauge is hooked up to a n that simulates 30 mph winds hitting the home from all sides and helps Delgado check for air leaks. Delgado, who exhausted 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, was recently hired as an energy conservation specialist with Gulick Building & Development.Photo: Autumn Driscoll/ Connecticut Post

Cruz Delgado checks for air leakage around the window frame in a condominium in Bridgeport Thursday, August 4, 2011. Delgado, who exhausted 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, was recently hired as an energy conservation specialist with Gulick Building & Development.Photo: Autumn Driscoll/ Connecticut Post

Cruz Delgado checks for air leakage around a light switch in a condominium in Bridgeport Thursday, August 4, 2011. Delgado, who exhausted 99 weeks of unemployment benefits, was recently hired as an energy conservation specialist with Gulick Building & Development.Photo: Autumn Driscoll/ Connecticut Post

Tips for Job SeekersRemain positive: Network in-person and online. Join professional associations, and get involved on social networking websites like LinkedIn.Freshen up your skills: If your skills are outdated, you could take online courses or register for classes at your local community college.Create a strong resume: Focus on your strengths and abilities rather than chronology. Dont try to hide gaps in employment, but rather focus on the aspects of your background of greatest interest to hiring managers.Consider project work. Temporary opportunities can ease the transition back into the workplace and potentially lead to a full-time role.Work with a specialized recruiter.Below are the some of the top positions in the slowly recovering economy and the jobs unemployment rates for the second quarter:Figures reflect the average for the entire second quarter of 2011.Compliance officers: 1.0 percentHuman resources assistants: 1.5 percentChief executives (includes CFOs): 2.6 percentHuman resources managers: 2.8 percentAccountants and auditors: 3.5 percentFinancial analysts: 3.8 percent

On Monday, for the first time in almost four years,Cruz Delgado, of Bridgeport, went to work at a full-time job that wasnt temporary or seasonal. Texts came in saying, Good luck, and Were happy for you, helping to calm the nerves of the 42-year-old ther of four.

Yeah, I was somewhat nervous -- you know, like when you come out of school, he said on his lunch break Wednesday. I thought maybe the big boss would be there watching you. I didnt know what to expect.

Monday might seem a lifetime removed from his days as a 99er. Thats what people are called who have exhausted all 99 weeks of unemployment and emergency unemployment benefits.

Delgado had worked for a Coca-Cola distributor for years and in real estate part time. He decided to go into real estate full time in 2006 and then the market began its downward trend and finally he was out of a job in 2008. The benefits ran out last year and he landed a seasonal job in New York but it didnt cover the bills and he fell behind on the mortgage. Thats when he enrolled in a mortgage assistance job program and eventually enrolled in a new program to become an energy auditor. He landed a job with Gulick Building and Development after earning his certificate last month. Its still too late to save his home, so hes selling it in a short sale and moving on. But at least he has a job and already secured a new place to live, he said.

Delgado is lucky; landing a job means he is no longer a member of the growing 99er community in the region. More than 9,100 people in southwest Connecticut have run through their unemployment benefits with few job opportunities on the horizon, and between 125 and 175 people join them each week, according toThe WorkPlace Inc., the regions nonprofit job board. That so many are exhausting benefits could be more evidence that having unemployed branded on a resume is akin to a scarlet letter that carries with it suspicions of laziness and ineptitude.

Joining the ex Cons

Robert Velez sits on a bench outside theBridgeport Public Library on Broad Street. Hes aNew Yorker who came to Connecticut for work more than five years ago and hes been out of work since Dec. 10. He found employment in delivery and warehouse jobs, but he started dealing drugs and was arrested in 2006 and sentenced to five years in jail in 2007 on a felony drug conviction.

After getting out of jail in December, he has been applying for graveyard shifts, but so r all hes been able to get are temp jobs.

If he doesnt get called in to work, he goes to the library and files applications on line. He skips breakst, but he says hes never been big on the morning meal. After looking for work, I go back home and lay in my bed. I live in a half-way house.

People with convictions have always made up a large portion of the long-term unemployed. The problem was so pervasive, Connecticut passed a law in 2010 that does not require convicts applying to non-law enforcement state jobs to reveal they have a criminal record until they land an interview.

Though hes in the same boat, Velez understands his problem isnt about the unemployment tag.

Its my record, he said of whats holding him back.

But ultimately,Some part-tiLate payment. he has the same complaint as many other long-term unemployed. He said people arent willing to take a chance.

A DIFFERENT KIND

OF PREJUDICE

Unemployed workers and their advocates say there is discrimination taking place against the long-term unemployed, just like there is against people with criminal records. Specifically, the law only says employers cannot discriminate against peoples race, ethnicity, religion, disabilities, and age, according to the Equal Employment Opportunity Program website. So its not illegal to discriminate against a person who has been to prison, and its not illegal to discriminate against the jobless.

The pendulum has moved to give business the advantage, saidJoseph Carbone, executive director of The Workplace in Bridgeport. There is such a rich pool of applicants for every job, sometimes 200 to 300 for every opening. So companies have the upper hand and one of the things were seeing is that some may refuse to interview anyone who has been out of work for a year or more.

(U.S. Rep.)Rosa DeLauro is working on a bill that would make that illegal, but it isnt right now, he said. For an applicant to be turned away, over and over, with even getting an interview, it can sap your soul.

Carbone has started a new program specifically for 99ers, called Platform 2 Employment. It provides a paid internship, funded from the private sector, for participants who attend a job training program with the hope that at the end of the program, the person will be offered a job.

While the program received funding enough to cover 100 internships, Carbone said he had one potential donor come in; take out a check book and say, Ill give you $12,000 for any program you want but that one.

I asked why? And he said because theyre lazy.

Its a pervasive notion in the business world that people who get laid off are somehow to blame.

In a lecture atFairfield University in July,Scott Nevins, a wealth manager and a former chief executive who turned around several iling companies during his career, said one of the hardest things he had to learn to do was to cut jobs. But he said he wouldnt hold it against a worker who was laid off. Nevins doesnt think much of other CEOs judgment on performance or talent.

But its clear there is a notion that a laid off worker is somehow inferior.Jack Welch, the former General Electric Co. chief executive officer, earned the sobriquet of Neutron Jack for job cutting practices that included periodically cutting 10 percent of his managers who were not performing.

THEIR OWN WORST ENEMY

Victor Benoit, a partner in a Darien-based human resources firm, said the key thing for 99ers to do is to keep themselves motivated and confident that they will eventually find work.

It is emotionally draining and people are losing the energy and stamina they need to plod along, he said. Carbone said he sits and listens to the men and women talk about what they are cing and it could bring him to tears.

Part of what needs to be done for the long-term unemployed is to re-establish their worth, he said. And tSome part-time jobs for earnino get them back into a mind set that they can work.

It was a horrible feeling. You go to these places and theyre not hiring. And the places that are, arent paying, Delgado said, recounting the doubts that dogged him during his days of unemployment as he wondered if he would ever get a good job again.

A NO-WIN SITUATION

Ed Thomas, of Darien, a marketing and research consultant has been without unemployment insurance since March, has tapped out nearly all of his retirement funds, and has missed a few of his $2,000 mortgage payments.

I have two kids in college that I cant help at all, and I am putting my house on the market, Thomas said. I could take out a home equity loan to pay my mortgage, but I dont want to do that.

This is the end of the line for some 99ers, who ce homelessness and will have to rely on charities, many of which are already serving record numbers.

Bruce, 57, who didnt want his last name used, has been to the end of that road. He lost his IT job at UBS in Stamford in 2008 and found himself trying to land a job against younger and foreign workers in a shrinking job market. Then, within a year of the benefits running out, he lost his apartment and other possessions when he couldnt pay the rent at the storage place where he had put his belongings. Later, he sold his only other possession, his car, which he had been living in. Well educated with a college degree and certificates, Bruce said he never thought it would come to this.

Living in a shelter is horrible -- with the mentally ill, drug addicts and active alcoholics, said Bruce, formerly of Stamford. Its traumatizing.

Bruce is in the P2E program now and he said getting accepted was the first yes hes heard in a long time. But some 99ers actually got here because they were what they thought was the financially prudent move. Like some 99ers, Delgado said he didnt apply for jobs that didnt pay enough because the unemployment benefits came closer to covering his mortgage and other costs of living. And most thought they could get a job quickly.

Carbone said thats probably the biggest mistake long-term unemployed make, passing up opportunities early in the process. He said just getting a job and having some money coming in and a place to go gives people a lift. It can also provide opportunities for advancement later.

The impact of lling behind on bills also can hurt a job search. Some businesses use credit reports as part of the recruiting process, and people who arent paying bills end up with lower scores and further damage their chances of landing jobs.

A NEW FRONTIER

OF SORTS

While some companies might be averse to hiring the unemployed, others are not.

Matthew Maiello,Better profiEskoArtwork O. chief operating officer of Gulick Building and Development, hired Delgado.

I needed someone who was bilingual and professional, he said. He sent over his resume and he had great stuff.

Maiello said Delgado has experience in sales, and had worked for companies for stretches of nine years at a time. And Maiello said he sees plenty of talent out there yearning for a chance to work.

Its foolish to look at a guy who has been out of work for a while and think hes no good. Maiello said. Weve grown by 20 people during the recession. If youre a irly wise company, theres a tremendous amount of talent out there.

Ultimately, Delgado did a lot of things right, according to the experts. While he admits self doubt crept up on him from time to time, he fought it off by telling himself he would eventually succeed. He said he never felt he didnt get a job because he was unemployed, but because he didnt have the right certifications or schooling. So he fixed that ult on his resume, taking the class on environmental auditing.

Delgado said his one worry as the certification process was nearing completion was that after getting it people might say, your overqualified.

Standing outside a home where he was conducting an energy audit, Delgado smiled at the question of how it feels to be going to work every day.

It feels good, he said.

Texts came in saying, Good luck, and Were happy for you, helping to calm the nerves of the 42-year-old ther of four.Yeah, I was somewhat nervous -- you know, like when you come out of school, he said on his lunch break Wednesday.More than 9,100 people in southwest Connecticut have...

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The end of the year brings accountability to the cable universe. In surveying the major players, some networks met key goals in 2011, while others missed out on opportunities or fell short of achieving stated priorities. A&E On the reality side, A&E hit it big with "Storage Wars" and its spinoff "Storage Wars:Texas," which saw the biggest premiere in network history. "Beyond Scared Straight" and "Gene SimmonsFamily Jewels" also performed well, though long-running staples "Hoarders" and "Intervention" are starting to show some ratings wear and tear. As scripted re goes, season two of "The Glades" was up 12% from season one, and "Breakout Kings" red well enough in its rookie campaign (12.8 million viewers) to earn a renewal. Net is nicely placed in the top 10 in total viewers and the 18-49 and 25-54 demo, and 11th in 18-34.AMCRatings remained strong at AMC, but the net had some PR problems. AMC had a public spat with "The Walking Dead" exec producerFrank Darabont, who left the show for reasons including -- depending on whom you believe -- the amount of coin AMC was dedicating to the show, production deadlines and how much control he had as showrunner. Net also didnt anticipate the critical and audience backlash against "The Killing" finale, which iled to declare Rosie Larsens murderer. That said, ratings for the second season of "The Walking Dead" remain strong, "Breaking Bad" numbers were up, and the "Mad Men" contract disputes were finally resolved. New drama "Hell on Wheels" also performed solidly and earned a sophomore season renewal.Comedy CentralRatings for the laffer cabler were up marginally across the board -- with the exception of a nice 8% bump in the nets preferred 18-34 demo and a record for men in 25-54 -- and rookie series "Workaholics" was a nice surprise. "Tosh.0" brings in plenty of Millennials, and "The Daily Show WithJon Stewart" and "The Colbert Report" provide enough buzz and zeitgeist chatter to make up for any perceived ratings weakness. Newbies "Onion SportsDome" and "Sports Show WithNorm Macdonald" iled to catch on and wont be returning. Net received lots of publicity for itsCharlie Sheenroast, but the occasional specials could use a bit of freshening. E! E!s fortunes rise and ll on the Kardashian mily, and while those ratings remained irly steady in 2011, cable chieftain Bonnie Hammer has made it clear a change is in order. At some point, audiences will start to tune out all things Kardashian, and Hammer, along with new network prexy Suzanne Kolb, have made scripted series a priority, especially in a TV landscape crowded with celeb-filled newsies. Viewers flocked to the cablers two-night special on the irytale but short-lived wedding betweenKim KardashianandKris Humphries. With the happy couple already split up, however, andKhloe KardashianspouseLamar Odomtraded to theDallas Mavericks, the new programming strategy is a welcome move.ESPNRatings slipped a bit for the all-sports behemoth, although its football coverage dominated the list of the years top-rated programs. Net had 22 of the top 23 programs of the year --MTV"Video Music Awards" was the lone exception -- with on-field football action, studio shows and the Japan-U.S.Womens World Cupfinals. In programming acquisitions, ESPN made a nice move grabbing Wimbledon away fromNBC, and it also reupped with theNFL, clearly its signature sport. On the other hand, the net lost theWorld Cup, and iled to secure the rights to theOlympics. The World Cup mishap stings deeply because new topper John Skipper has long been a n of both soccer and broadening ESPNs international coverage.Fox NewsWith its 1.8 million primetime viewers, the net is still the cable news leader by r. Yet, there are cracks in the armor, including a 14% decrease in the 25-54 demo -- the group that matters most to newsies. The departure ofGlenn Beckmay have been a dream scenario to the PR department, but he definitely took a handful of viewers with him. Replacement series "The Five" has done OK, but the series doesnt carry the buzz -- good or bad -- that Beck drew. Nets numbers, as well as those of competitorsCNNandMSNBC, should go up next year when the presidential election race gets substantially more heated.FXFX reunited with "Nip/Tuck" creatorRyan Murphyfor "AmericanHorror Story," which became a major hit despite dividing critics. Season four of "Sons of Anarchy" returned to form, and "Justified" was again top notch, topped with an Emmy win for supporting actressMargo Martindale. And then theres "Louie." Net gives free rein to the actor-comedian, and he excels with the creative freedom. Show is labeled acomedybut skillfully delves into ultra-serious re, and Louis CK also found himself in the Emmy race, nominated for both acting and writing. Overall, FXs ratings jumped 21% in total viewers and 22% in the 18-49 demo. Only downside was boxing drama "Lights Out," which was canceled after its first season.HBOThere may be no show more profitable to its network than "Game of Thrones" is to HBO. Fully produced by the pay cabler and already a global phenomenon after only one season, the ntasy skein was a gamble that has paid off handsomely. "Boardwalk Empire" is also strong, as is vampire staple "True Blood." Comedies were a different story, however, as "Enlightened," was critically applauded and got renewed but iled to deliver an audience. Laffers "Bored to Death," "How to Make It in America" and "Hung" all saw declines and got the ax in one fell swoop. In nonprogramming news, online viewing portal HBO Go proved a major hit, allowing the HBO brand to extend r beyond traditional TV viewing patterns.HistoryViewers continue to flock to History, with more arriving each year. Total viewers reached 1.9 million in primetime, an increase of 22% -- the biggest upside move of any cabler in 2011. After "Jersey Shore," "Pawn Stars" is the most-watched reality series on TV with 7 million viewers, and "American Pickers" isnt r behind with 5.7 million. Also doing well is second-year series "Swamp People," which drew a healthy 5.5 million for its season finale. Topper Nancy Dubuc continues her skillful rebranding of a network that many thought would never be a serious player.LifetimeThe turnaround that Nancy Dubuc has accomplished at History has yet to take shape at Lifetime. Two series got the ax after their respective first seasons: reality skein "Roseannes Nuts" and the scripted "Against the Wall." Even the well-intentionedbreast cancer-centric miniseries "Five" iled to draw a decent audience. "Drop Dead Diva" and "Army Wives" remain solid performers, but if the femme net is going to become a major player, Dubuc will have to find some new series that generate enthusiasm. MaybeJennifer Love Hewittin the upcoming series "The Client List" will do the trick. Its a difficult but not impossible challenge. MTV As long asSnookiand Co. continues to attract a nation full of gawkers, MTV will always be a ratings force. The 9.2 million viewers who tune in weekly to "Jersey Shore" remains a wildly impressive number. However, the phenomenon is due to wear off sooner rather than later and the net needs to figure out what will be the next big thing. On the scripted side, MTV was pleasantly surprised by "Awkward," the high school drama that made a star out of Ashley Rickards. Overall, cabler saw healthy double-digit increases in total viewers and the 18-49 and 18-34 demos, with the net being the top channel with the latter demo. The winning "Teen Mom" franchise also looks to be around for awhile and revamped "Teen Wolf" drew some nice publicity. On the down side, the controversial U.K. import "Skins" was canceled after its first season.ShowtimeSince David Nevins took over for as programming chief in 2010, the pay cabler has made some major changes. Terrorist-themed series "Homeland" has been a ratings winner and buzzed-about by both critics and audiences. While "Dexter" was Showtimes signature drama in the past, consider the mantle officially passed. Nets subscriber base is up to 21.1 million, and the programming strategy of moving away from shows centered on eccentric women -- think "Weeds," "Nurse Jackie" and "United States of Tara" -- that were a staple under Greenblatt is slowly under way.StarzIt took guts for topper Chris Albrecht to give "Boss" a two-season order before the first episode ever aired. But justifying this bold move would seem difficult at this point. Despite an engrossing storyline and stellar work from starKelsey Grammer, the series drew only 1.7 million viewers in combined telecasts, DVR use and On Demand over its first five episodes. Net has made a mark with its "Spartacus" franchise but will have to move beyond sword-and-sandals re to grow. Next years new skein Some part-ti16 People Nee, "Magic City," will be critical in determining Starzs place in a competitive pay cable environment.TBSIfTNTcontinues to mine winning shows for Turner, TBS is going in the opposite direction. Theres been nothing particularly funny for the net, which continues to shed viewers -- down 11% to 1.5 million in total viewers and 13% in the 18-49 demo to 879,000. Clearly,Conan OBrienhasnt delivered the kind of ratings performance hoped for when TBS gave thetalkshowstar his own series following the NBC debacle. The long-runningTyler Perryseries -- "Meet the Browns" and "House of Payne" -- are seeing some viewer erosion, and "For Better or Worse" opened OK but below previous Perry skeins. TNT The loss of the low-rated "Men of a Certain Age" was a blow to those who believed the skein was one of the best dramas on the air, but it was hard to argue against the move from a business standpoint. On the upside, "Southland" remains one of cables most compelling series, theSteven Spielberg-exec produced "Falling Skies" was a bona fide rookie hit and "Rizzoli and Isles" continues to be a procedural smash. "Rizzoli," combined with the resilientKyra Sedgwickskein "The Closer," which is nearing the end of its run, keeps TNT a major ratings force. USA Ranking as the No. 1 entertainment cabler for six years in a row, the money machine forNBCUniversalcontinues to impress. New summer series "Suits" and "Necessary Roughness" were right in line with the nets other ratings-winning dramedies -- "White Collar," "Royal Pains" and "Burn Notice" -- but toppers Jeff Wachtel and Chris McCumber realize they have to push out of their comfort zone with comedies and reality to stay on top. The net was best in total viewers and the 18-49 and 25-54, but there wasnt any growth from last year. Theres little question that 2012 will be a very interesting year for USA.

Cablers hit highs, lows, PR hurdles in 2011: HBO, ? The most profitable network pr,Clickherefor more television news on Variety.com.

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Honduras is promoting the cigar industry in search of new markets, but also imposed a rigid law on smokers that virtually only allows lighting up outdoors.

Free trade with poor, dangerous Honduras: It&rsquo Better profitable projects,REUTERS

Prime Minister Stephen Harper wants Parliament to approve a free-trade deal with Honduras, the country with Latin America’s highest homicide rate and second-lowest standard of living, and with which Canada last year had merchandise trade of $192-million – the amount of business Canada does with the United States in three hours.

So why is Mr. Harper, along with several senior officials and dozens of bureaucrats, spending valuable time on this project?

Actually, it could be a smart plan.

Canada needs new markets, since trade with traditional partners, especially the U.S. and Europe, has declined significantly during the past decade. For its part, the U.S. has trade agreements with seven Central and South American countries, including Honduras. Partly as a result of these deals, U.S. sales to the region increased close to 70 per cent between 2000 and last year.

Honduras may be small, but it presents interesting opportunities for Canada.

For one thing, Honduras wants to make more clean energy, something Canadians are good at. Right now, it’s planning two hydroelectric dams, Llanitos and Jicatuyo, that, together, will cost $600-million. Honduras has commitments for $450-million,The most proLinkedIn IPO. from Brazil’s National Development Bank and the Bank for Regional Economic Integration, among others. A Canadian energy group may want to invest the remaining $150-million; a free-trade agreement would make the company’s investment safer.

Then there are potential mining projects, which, at current prices for gold Part-time neblekko, silver and other metals and minerals, would allow Honduras to earn a lot of money.

Many Hondurans oppose resource industries, because of environmental concerns and because they think that any money the country gets from these projects will end up in politicians’ offshore bank accounts. But with its share of mining income, Honduras could hire the world’s best environmental engineers to guarantee that any mine minimizes risk.

Miners can’t stop public officials from stealing money. But Canadian mining companies – which already have more than 20 projects in the region, active and pending – could help Hondurans directly – say, for example, by putting computers and an Internet connection in every rural school.

For their part, Canadian exporters should be able to increase sales to Honduras. In the case of Costa Rica, Canadian exports more than doubled in the first five years after their bilateral trade agreement took effect in 2002, led by grains, beef, pork and packaged foods.

With a trade deal likely imminent with Panama, which has had Latin America’s highest annual rate of growth in the past five years, CBetter profitable projectsanadian exporters will be able to treat Central America as a single economic zone.

Honduras had serious problems in 2009, when opposition parties took power in a coup. But the current president, Porfirio Lobo, is doing progressive things. He wants Honduras to open commercial offices in China, India and Singapore, as well as Canada. He also has a plan to let private investors develop entire towns, which they would own and operate. The concept of private cities is radical, but it may also be ingenious.

Honduras has outstanding natural resources, including fertile fields, significant hydroelectric potential and beautiful beaches. Unfortunately, the effect of widespread corruption and inefficiency means most Hondurans live poor and die young.

In this case, maybe outsiders can do a better job.

Free trade with Honduras can be profitable for Canadian companies. Free trade with Canada may help Hondurans become richer and more peaceful.

Fred Blaser is the publisher of Centralamericalink.com.

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Co-operative Groups profit increases by 50%

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Laura GreenPalm Beach Post Staff Writer

Updated: 4:46p.m.Sunday,April24,2011

Posted: 11:14a.m.Sunday,April24,2011

Some part-time jobs for earnin Florida wage growth at lowest level since the Grea,Growth of wages in Florida, where pay already lags the nation, has nearly ground to a halt, reaching its lowest level since the Great Depression, according to the state Agency for Workforce Innovation.

And people who are laid off or fired in this recession are likely to suffer not only the loss of a job but the loss of salary stature when they finally return to work.

The ct that wages are growing at all might seem like good news in a recession, but economists say such statistics mask other problems.

&34;Generally, those that are less skilled, less educated, less experienced lose their jobs first, and those are people who are paid a lower wage,&34; said Rebecca Rust, chief economist at the state Agency for Workforce Innovation.

In other words, some lower-wage workers whose earnings bring down the average during the boom years arent figuring into the current numbers because theyre not working.

While wages grew in Florida by 4.6 percent or more between 2004 and 2006, increases began slowing in 2007. By 2009, theyd trickled to 1 percent, which is believed to be the lowest level in about 70 years.

There are multiple ctors dampening wages for people trying to get back on the job, said Till Marco von Wachter, a Columbia University labor economist.

For starters, &34;jobs that get formed in a recession start at lower wages,&34; he said.

Then theres the matter of fit. People who are out Some part-time jobs for earninof work often dont have the luxury of waiting for a job that fits their skills precisely. Sometimes that means they have skills that arent needed so theyre not being paid for that superfluous masters degree.

Already, laid-off workers are seeing a drop off in their perceived worth.

Three years ago, Iwasan David Kejawa earned $40,000 a year as a Palm Beach County adult education teacher. He assumed his earning prospects would only grow. But when he lost that job just as the economy tanked, Kejawa fell into a cycle of accepting one temporary dead-end job after dead-end job.

&34;Ive been looking for jobs for the past three years,&34; Kejawa said. &34;Now Im working at Lowes .&34;

He earns $10 an hour and often can only snag part-time hours.

In a downturn, the working are typically shielded from drastic salary reductions in the United States, unlike Europe.

If an American company has to cut spending, its more likely to lay off some workers and keep wages stable for those still on the job, Rust said. &34;In Europe, they have more of a tradition to keep all the workers but lower their wages.&34;

Because of that philosophy, recessions in America tend to inflict disparate treatment on its citizens, with those out-of-work feeling the effects long after theyve found reemployment.

More than half of U.S. employees who lost a job between 2007 and 2009 have had to take a pay cut to rejoin the workforce, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. About 36 percent took a job that paid 20 percent less than the one they lost.

Whats worse, workers forced to take a job in a recession because of a layoff may find their income stunted for 20 years or more, von Wachter found in a study of the 1982 recession, which more closely mimics the current downturn than other recessions.

Von Wachter and his colleagues discovered that employees laid off during the 1982 recession from a stable employer suffered an immediate loss of annual earnings of about 30 percent. After 15 to 20 years, those workers on average still earned 20 percent less than their counterparts who had remained employed.

The state does not collect data on the kinds of salaries unemployed Floridians have been forced to take. But Rust said common sense tells her that, during the slump, workers who cant afford to live without a paycheck until they find the right job &34;frequently have to take a job at a lower wage or take two part time jobs.&34;

There are significant signs the economy is rebounding The most proSell Apple to, which will eventually result in higher wages, Rust said.

In March, the state saw its first year-over-year growth in employment. Numbers of jobs have grown for six straight months, she said. Yet there are still 1 million Floridians unemployed.

&34;To regain employment levels prior to the recession Better profieng.24.kg, we still need to gain almost 866,000 jobs,&34; Rust said.

For a little perspective, the state is gaining about 22,600 jobs a month.

What economists dont know is whether the worst of the wage news is behind us.

In two of the past four recessions, wages climbed as the economy worsened and growth only began to decline in the recovery. It could be a positive sign that wage growth has already llen, and so spectacularly. It might mean that as the economy recovers, wages will grow voraciously too.

But if the llout from this recession is anything like those in the 80s and 90s, growth in wages will take a hit just as things appear to improve.

The state has no official forecasts for wages, but Rust is predicting a slow climb out of the bottom.

&34;Any time its a financial crisis and then we have the housing crisis along with it,&34; she said, &34;it just takes longer.&34;

It is important that we destroy collective bargaining, stop police, teachers and firemen and fire women, from obtaining job security or any benefits, so that we can afford to give our wealthyist citizens a much needed tax break. Destroy the rights of Labor Unions to advocate for working men and women and give vouchers to the elderly so that they can go out and shop for health insurance.

And make sure we keep voting for republicans. Twelve long year majority in FL.. Let the good times roll.

A lot of it has to do with Corporate cost cutting. They have replaced people with computer software and outsourcing. In addition, high wage earners are let go, only to be replaced by workers who will do the same job for less. Florida also has an underground economy that no body talks about. These are the ones that are handyman, babysitters, etc. They too are negatively affected in a bad economy and then try to compete for mainstream jobs. Like realtors who now look for traditional work.

Actually, welcome to the GLOBAL ECONOMY and the declining US dollar.

Unless this nation gets its debt and spending problems resolved quickly, our current situation will soon be know as the Good Old Days!

We are re-living the Great Depression.. The new generation cannot comprehend how to survive and are expecting the government to change this situation. The government will continue to make it worse and until we as Americans realize this and hopefully before its too late..

Dont you love the word "RECOVERY". This Scam word is used by Brokers,Salesman,Politicians. Still believe the word "Recovery"?????

We are actually going deeper into a PIT. Folks, this could get outta control ugly very soon. Actually scary stuff to think about. Sorry to say, during this "RECOVERY" WallStreet and Brokers got "Recovered", now our country and dollar is worthless as the real deal is about to BEGIN.

Also look at the large pool of immigrant labor here. The undocumented are willing to work at a lower cost per hour by not requiring payroll taxes and workers compensation. Willing to work for less per hour as well.

Government should do its job and enforce the labor regulations limiting the work force availible to business to just those legally authorized to work. That alone would produce an instant 20% pay bump to the low wage work force.

all the local citys and federal gov need an enima to wash out all the under worked and overpaid wanna bees who could not even run a hot dog stand.