FAST-GROWING CAREERS WITH HIGH SALARIES

Thinking of changing careers? Whether you're just beginning your education or returning to college, there are fast-growing professions that show no signs of slowing down through the end of the decade -- and they pay.
Let's look over some fast-track career groups that offer strong salaries with room to grow:
Commercial Loan OfficersCommercial loan officers work for banks, credit unions, and other lenders to help them analyze loan applicants for their consumer credit history and financial status. You'll need strong financial skills and a degree in business, economics, sales, or banking. Many online finance or management programs can get you up to speed in a hurry.
According to Salary.com, the national average of entry level earnings for commercial loan officers ranges from $55,475 to $71,382 with $3,000-$7,000 in bonuses. After six to eight years of experience, commercial loan officers can earn between $95,015 and $116,670, to a top salary of $128,034.
Financial AnalystFinancial analysts develop critical revenue projections and investment analyses for individuals or companies. There are online MBA or undergraduate business degree programs offering courses in statistics, accounting, economics, and business law that can prepare you for this fast-growing field.
The national annual salary range for entry level analysts is between $40,632 and $51,982, but with seven years experience, you'll leap into the $90,690 to $99,972 range.
Senior Database AdministratorA senior database administrator can design, maintain, and crunch a company's database to dramatically affect the operational bottom line. An online computer science degree or computer programming degree can provide fundamental skills necessary to thrive in this IT career. You'll need at least a bachelor-level IT degree to play on this rewarding field.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) reports that senior database administrator jobs will grow faster than the average rate for all career groups through 2014. And you'll look forward to your paycheck. Top salaries range from $90,690 to $113,849, with a top tier around $125,379.
Network Security AdministratorsLike their database cousins, network security administrators are among the fastest-growing career groups in the nation. In this role, you'll be the architect and security watchdog for an organization's voice systems, LAN/WAN, and telecommunications networks.
You'll need at least an IT bachelor's degree to compete, and you can better your prospects through online IT network certification and graduate degree programs. But it's worth it. Top annual salaries range from $61,117 to $100,685, with a high end around $123,585.
Registered NursesThere's no shortage of nursing jobs. According to the U.S. DOL, nurses make up the second-largest career group in the country. There are registered nurses and registered nurses with bachelor's degrees. The difference in earnings and the ceiling on your career can depend on your willingness to enroll in an online RN to BSN degree program.
Consider the evidence: entry level wages for an RN floor nurse range $53,398 to $68,263. Nurses who want to move into supervisory positions better their chances for advancement with a BSN degree. For example, head nurses average between $74,965 to $97,276, and head operating room nurses average from $80,084 to $112,090.
Web Interface Design DirectorsAmong all the graphics design professions, the U.S. DOL predicts that Web designers with animation experience will have the best job prospects through the decade. And, among these, Web interface design directors are the best earners. You can enroll in online graphics design degree programs and software courses to bone up on the latest graphical user interfaces (GUIs), usability trends, and code management techniques.
In return, look for the national earnings average of $47,551 to $66,277 for entry level designers to ramp up to a muscular $121,310 to $141,662 range -- with top salaries at $148,374 -- for senior interface design directors.
Restaurant General ManagersRestaurant general managers work for major restaurant chains, private bistros, hotels, resorts, and casinos. The Department of Labor predicts best opportunities will be for salaried managers than self-employed restaurateurs. You'll prosper from completing online hotel and restaurant management programs.
National average wages for restaurant GMs range from $53,255 to $60,765, with an average at $70,546 for managers of fine restaurants.
ParalegalsParalegals provide critical support to attorneys, law offices, corporate legal departments, courts, and government agencies. The Department of Labor predicts brisk growth in the field, especially for graduates of paralegal courses offered through online paralegal degree programs.
The national salary range for entry level paralegals is from $36,641 to $49,754, however, paralegals with eight years experience may earn upwards of $86,666

10 WAYS TO PUNCH YOUR OWN TIMECLOCK

10 Ways to Punch Your Own Timeclock--And Make Great Moneyby Joe Taylor Jr.

Recent studies indicate that today's working professionals desire control of their time even more than a bigger paycheck. Job seekers can often uncover flexible jobs in businesses that serve customers around the clock, and in industries with a backlog of projects to process. Telecommuting offers professionals the ability to eliminate long commutes without cutting connections from clients or colleagues. Flextime gives workers the ability to set their own hours. Job sharing is a relatively new form of work flexibility, allowing two or three team members to share a single set of responsibilities.
According to United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, these ten careers offer great job flexibility potential:
1. Medical Transcriptionist
Complex insurance regulations combined with a backlog of patient data mean a surge of jobs for certified medical transcriptionists. Because most doctors' offices outsource this vital step in the health care process, most medical transcriptionists earn $28,000 or more each year working from home. Medical administration training courses can be completed in just a few months, opening up the potential for a lucrative side job or a highly flexible full-time career.
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2. Financial Manager
Bank branches, stock brokerages, and other financial companies have radically changed the way they do business to appeal to today's active consumers. Earning an MBA in finance no longer means settling for banker's hours. In fact, companies are actively recruiting financial managers willing to work when customers need them the most. An online degree in finance can qualify you for jobs that frequently pay more than $81,000 per year.
3. Nurse
According to government analysts, a nursing career is as close to recession-proof as most professionals can get in the next three decades. The nation will rely on nursing school graduates for everything from rehabilitation to hospice care. Most nurses can choose their own shifts, or work for agencies as flexible contractors. A nursing degree can help you net $52,000 or more per year.
4. Database Administrator
If you prefer an IT career with a focus on hard data, train for a job as a database administrator. Companies of all kinds need detail-oriented professionals who know SQL, Oracle, and other platforms that keep data organized. A degree in information technology and an independent certification can qualify you for jobs paying $60,000 or more.
5. Accountant
Just because you count money doesn't mean you need to do it from nine to five. Not only can you earn an online accounting degree on your own schedule, you can work with clients in your office or theirs, at times that suit you both. With an online bachelor's degree in accounting and a few years of experience, you can earn a salary of $50,000 or higher every year.
6. Software Developer
Several years after the "Web 1.0" bubble burst, Silicon Valley is hiring professionals with computer programming degrees at a brisk pace. This time, instead of lush campuses with free lunches, employers offer perks that job seekers desire: flexible hours, job sharing, and telecommuting. Within a few years of earning your software development degree, you could take home an annual salary of over $74,000 - without actually leaving home most days.
7. Physical Therapist Assistant
As medical technology helps more of us live longer and survive trauma more frequently, demand for physical therapist assistants has grown. At physical therapist assistant school, students learn skills to assist physical therapists with patient work in the office and at the homes of patients. Earning a physical therapist assistant degree doesn't take very long, and can qualify you for jobs that often pay over $37,000 per year.
8. Paralegal
While industry analysts note the shrinking job market for new attorneys, the number of paralegals finding full-time work continues to rise. Most paralegal schools allow students to attend classes part-time, while building skills that can help graduates land flexible jobs that pay over $39,000 per year. Online paralegal degrees offer even more flexibility for students who crave a law career without earning a Juris Doctorate.
9. Graphic Designer
Thanks to new technology, a degree in digital graphic design opens doors to flexible jobs in a variety of specialties. Whether you work part-time at an advertising agency or run a freelance graphic design practice, you can join the ranks of creative professionals who often earn over $38,000 per year. Many graphic design degrees now include business management and marketing training electives to help graduates build flexible, creative careers.
10. Private Investigator
Although many private investigators work part-time hours, most detectives-for-hire earn over $32,000 per year. An online criminal justice degree can help you understand how to conduct effective private investigations without breaking the law or tampering with evidence.
Finding Flexibility
While many companies are starting to explore the idea of job flexibility, finding a career path where work/life balance is the norm and not the exception is a great first step toward your long term professional satisfaction

Huge Job Losses Set Off Recession Alarms

Biggest Job Loss in 5 Years Sets Off Recession Alarms; Nearly Quarter-Million Gone in 3 Months

WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's no longer a question of recession or not. Now it's how deep and how long.
Workers' pink slips stacked ever higher in March as jittery employers slashed 80,000 jobs, the most in five years, and the national unemployment rate climbed to 5.1 percent. Job losses are nearing the staggering level of a quarter-million this year in just three months.
For the third month in a row total U.S. employment rolls shrank -- often a telltale sign that the economy has jolted dangerously into reverse.
At the same time, the jobless rate rose three-tenths of a percentage point, a sharp increase usually associated with times of deep economic stress.
The grim picture described by the Labor Department on Friday provided stark evidence of just how much the jobs market has buckled under the weight of the housing, credit and financial crises. Businesses and jobseekers alike are feeling the pain.
"It is now very clear that the fat lady has sung for the economic expansion. The country has slipped into a recession," said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group. Indeed, there is widening agreement that the first recession since 2001 has arrived. Even Ben Bernanke, in a rare public utterance for a Federal Reserve chairman, used the "r" word, acknowledging for the first time this week that a recession was possible.
Job losses were widespread last month, hitting workers at factories, construction companies, retailers, banks, real-estate firms and even temporary-help agencies. Also mortgage brokers, hotels, computer design shops, accounting firms, architecture and engineering companies, legal services, airlines and other transportation as well as telecommunications companies.
Those cuts swamped employment gains elsewhere, including at hospitals and other heath-care sites, educational services, child day-care providers, bars and restaurants, insurance companies, museums, zoos and parks. And the government, which is almost always up.
In fact, private employers have shed jobs for four straight months, though December showed an overall gain for the economy because the government increase outweighed the private loss.
March's losses were the most since the same month in 2003, when companies were still struggling to recover from the last recession. Adding to the angst: Revised figures showed losses were actually deeper than first reported for both January and February.
All told, the economy now has lost 232,000 jobs in the first three months of this year.
On Wall Street, investors took the weak employment figures in stride. The Dow Jones industrials lost just 16.61 points, while other indexes edged higher.
All the economy's problems are forcing people and businesses to hunker down, crimping spending and hiring, a vicious cycle.
"Across the board, businesses have become very, very conservative," said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. More downbeat about their own sales prospects because of cautious consumers, employers are cutting back. "It only makes sense for them to run leaner if we are going into a recession or already in one" as Naroff now believes.
The new employment figures were much weaker than economists were expecting. They were anticipating a drop of 50,000 payroll jobs.
Michael Gregory, senior economist at BMO Capital Markets Economics, said the employment report was "emitting recession signals."
The national unemployment rate of 5.1 percent, relatively modest by historical standards, is nonetheless the highest since September 2005, following the devastating blows of the Gulf Coast hurricanes.
Some groups are feeling more of the strains from the economy's current woes. The unemployment rate for Hispanics, for instance, jumped to 6.9 percent in March, the highest in over four years. The rate for blacks climbed to 9 percent, a two-month high.
With the public on edge, Congress, the White House and presidential contenders are scrambling to come up with their own relief plans to stem record-high home foreclosures and stabilize housing -- even as they engage in a political blame game.
Democrats want more economic assistance, including extending unemployment benefits. The Bush administration has resisted, saying the government's $168 billion stimulus package of tax rebates for people and tax breaks for businesses will be sufficient once it kicks in.
"We don't like to see one job lost, let alone 80,000," Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said in an interview with The Associated Press. "These are challenging times," he said. Gutierrez was hopeful the economy would turn around in the second half of this year, given the relief efforts by the government and the Federal Reserve. "We'll get through this."
Democrats were skeptical of the administration's efforts.
"Our economy is spiraling downward," said presidential contender Hillary Rodham Clinton. "It is time for this administration to put ideology aside and get serious about stemming this crisis."
Barack Obama said, "Instead of doing nothing for out-of-work Americans, we need a second stimulus that extends unemployment insurance and helps communities that have been hit hard by this recession."
Republican John McCain said the unemployment news "underlines the need to focus on innovation, which grows the economy and creates an urgent need for effective worker retraining."
Given the worsening employment situation, the Federal Reserve probably will lower a key interest rate, now at 2.25 percent, later this month.
The Fed has taken a number of extraordinary actions recently -- slashing interest rates, providing financial backing to JP Morgan's takeover of troubled Bear Stearns and opening an emergency lending program for big investment houses. All the actions were aimed at limiting damage to the national economy.
With the pace of hiring slowing, the number of unemployed people increased to 7.8 million in March.
Workers with jobs saw modest wage gains. Average hourly earnings for jobholders rose to $17.86 in March and are up 3.6 percent over the past 12 months. With lofty energy and food prices, workers may feel like their paychecks are shrinking. If the job market continues to falter, wage growth probably will slow, too, making consumers even less inclined to spend, which would further hurt the economy.
Many analysts believe the economy shrank in the first three months of this year and could still be ebbing now. The government will release its estimate of first-quarter economic growth later this month. Under one rough rule, if the economy contracts for six straight months it is considered in a recession. When a determination is made by a panel of experts about when a recession has started and ended -- it is usually done well after the fact.
Bernanke and the Bush administration are hopeful the economy will improve in the second half of this year. Even so, Bernanke predicted this week that the unemployment rate would rise further. Some analysts say it could climb to 5.75 percent or higher this year.
Advises Hoffman: "If you've got a job, hang on to it the best you can."

81% in Poll Say Nation Is Headed on Wrong Track

Americans are more dissatisfied with the country’s direction than at any time since the New York Times/CBS News poll began asking about the subject in the early 1990s, according to the latest poll.
In the poll, 81 percent of respondents said they believed “things have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track,” up from 69 percent a year ago and 35 percent in early 2002.
Although the public mood has been darkening since the early days of the war in Iraq, it has taken a new turn for the worse in the last few months, as the economy has seemed to slip into recession. There is now nearly a national consensus that the country faces significant problems.
A majority of nearly every demographic and political group — Democrats and Republicans, men and women, residents of cities and rural areas, college graduates and those who finished only high school — say the United States is headed in the wrong direction. Seventy-eight percent of respondents said the country was worse off than five years ago; just 4 percent said it was better off.
The dissatisfaction is especially striking because public opinion usually hits its low point only in the months and years after an economic downturn, not at the beginning of one. Today, however, Americans report being deeply worried about the country even though many say their own personal finances are still in fairly good shape.
Only 21 percent of respondents said the overall economy was in good condition, the lowest such number since late 1992, when the recession that began in the summer of 1990 had already been over for more than a year. In the latest poll, two in three people said they believed the economy was in recession today.
The unhappiness presents clear risks for Republicans in this year’s elections, given the continued unpopularity of President Bush. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said they approved of the job he was doing, a number that has barely changed since last summer. But Democrats, who have controlled the House and Senate since last year, also face the risk that unhappy voters will punish Congressional incumbents.
Mr. Bush and leaders of both parties on Capitol Hill have moved in recent weeks to react to the economic slowdown, first by passing a stimulus bill that will send checks of up to $1,200 to many couples this spring. They are now negotiating over proposals to overhaul financial regulations, blunt the effects of a likely wave of home foreclosures and otherwise respond to the real estate slump and related crisis on Wall Street.
The poll found that Americans blame government officials for the crisis more than banks or home buyers and other borrowers. Forty percent of respondents said regulators were mostly to blame, while 28 percent named lenders and 14 percent named borrowers.
In assessing possible responses to the mortgage crisis, Americans displayed a populist streak, favoring help for individuals but not for financial institutions. A clear majority said they did not want the government to lend a hand to banks, even if the measures would help limit the depth of a recession.
“What I learned from economics is that the market is not always going to be a happy place,” Sandi Heller, who works at the University of Colorado and is also studying for a master’s degree in business there, said in a follow-up interview. If the government steps in to help out, said Ms. Heller, 43, it could encourage banks to take more foolish risks.
“There are a million and one better ways for the government to spend that money,” she said.
Respondents were considerably more open to government help for home owners at risk of foreclosure. Fifty-three percent said they believed the government should help those whose interest rates were rising, while 41 percent said they opposed such a move.
The nationwide telephone survey of 1,368 adults was conducted from March 28 to April 2. The margin of sampling error was plus or minus 3 percentage points.
When the presidential campaign began last year, the war in Iraq and terrorism easily topped Americans’ list of concerns. Almost 30 percent of people in a December poll said that one of those issues was the country’s most pressing problem. About half as many named the economy or jobs.
But the issues have switched places in just a few months’ time. In the latest poll, 17 percent named terrorism or the war, while 37 percent named the economy or the job market. When looking at the current state of their own finances, Americans remain relatively sanguine. More than 70 percent said their financial situation was fairly good or very good, a number that has dropped only modestly since 2006.
Yet many say they are merely managing to stay in place, rather than get ahead. This view is consistent with the income statistics of the past five years, which suggest that median household income has still not returned to the inflation-adjusted peak it hit in 1999. Since the Census Bureau began keeping records in the 1960s, there has never been an extended economic expansion that ended without setting a new record for household income.
Economists cite a variety of factors for the sluggish income growth, including technology and globalization, and it clearly seems to have made Americans anxious about the future. Fewer than half of parents — 46 percent — said they expected their children to enjoy a better standard of living than they themselves do, down from 56 percent in 2005.
Respondents were more pessimistic when asked in general terms about the next generation, with only a third saying it would live better than people do today. (Polls usually find people more upbeat about their personal situation than about the state of society, but the gap is now larger than usual.)
Charles Parrish, a 56-year-old retired fireman in Evans, Ga., who now works a maintenance job for the local school system, said he was worried the country was not preparing children for the high-technology economy of the future. Instead, the government passed a stimulus package that simply sends checks to taxpayers and worsens the deficit in the process.
“Who’s going to pay back the money?” Mr. Parrish, an independent, said. “We are. They are giving me money, except I’m going to have to pay interest on it.”
Democrats have asserted recently that the lack of wage growth has made people more open to government intervention in the economy than in the past, and the poll found mixed results on this score.
Fifty-eight percent of respondents said they would support raising taxes on households making more than $250,000 to pay for tax cuts or government programs for people making less than that amount. Only 38 percent called it a bad idea. Both Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton and Senator Barack Obama, the Democratic presidential candidates, have made proposals along these lines.
More broadly, 43 percent of those surveyed said they would prefer a larger government that provided more services, which is tied for the highest such number since The Times and CBS News began asking the question in 1991. But an identical 43 percent said they wanted a smaller government that provided fewer services.
And although both Mrs. Clinton and Mr. Obama have blamed trade with other countries for some of the economy’s problems, Americans say they continue to favor trade — if not quite as strongly as in the past. Fifty-eight percent called it good for the economy; 32 percent called it bad, up from 17 percent in 1996.
At the same time, 68 percent said they favored trade restrictions to protect domestic industries, instead of allowing unrestrained trade. In early 1996, 55 percent favored such restrictions.

Jobs slashed, pointing to recession

WASHINGTON - Employers buffeted by talk of recession slashed 80,000 jobs in March, the most in five years and the third straight month of losses.
At the same time, the national unemployment rate rose from 4.8 percent to 5.1 percent, the clearest signal yet that the economy might already be shrinking.
The new snapshot of the job market, released by the Labor Department Friday, underscored the damage that a trio of crises _in the housing, credit and financial sectors — has inflicted on companies, jobseekers and the economy as a whole.
"The labor market has indeed turned south," said Joel Naroff, president of Naroff Economic Advisors. "That was the one last bastion of hope to stay out of a recession. Now the question is how deep and how long will it last?"
The unemployment rate was the highest since September 2005, when significant job losses followed the devastating blows of Gulf Coast hurricanes.
Job losses were widespread in March. Construction, manufacturing, retailing, financial services and various business services all racked up losses. That overwhelmed gains elsewhere, including in education and health care, leisure and hospitality as well as in government.
On Wall Street, stocks fell, with the Dow Jones industrials down more than 30 points in morning trading.
The new employment figures were much weaker than economists were expecting. They were anticipating a drop of 50,000 payroll jobs and the unemployment rate to rise to 5 percent.
The 5.1 percent rate, while relatively modest by historical standards, was the highest in 2 1/2 years.
Job cuts in both January and February turned out to be even deeper. Employers got rid of 76,000 in each month. The elimination of 80,000 jobs in March was the most since March 2003, when the labor market was still struggling to recover from the 2001 recession.
"We don't like to see one job lost, let alone 80,000," Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez said in an interview with The Associated Press. "These are challenging times," he said. Gutierrez was hopeful that economy would turn around in the second half of this year given relief efforts by the government and the Federal Reserve. "We'll get through this."
The economy is suffering the effects of a housing collapse, a credit crunch and a financial system in turmoil. That's causing people and businesses to hunker down, crimping spending, capital investment and hiring. Those things in turn further weaken the economy in what has become a vicious cycle.
For the first time, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke acknowledged Wednesday that the country could be heading toward a recession, saying federal policymakers are "fighting against the wind" in combating it. Many other economists and the public believe the recession already has arrived.
Bernanke wouldn't tip his hand about the Fed's next move. However, many economists believe the central bank will lower interest rates again when they meet later this month, and they said Friday's employment report would justify another reduction perhaps by half a point.
The Fed has taken a number of extraordinary actions recently — slashing interest rates, providing financial backing to JP Morgan's takeover of troubled Bear Stearns and opening an emergency lending program for big investment houses. All the actions are ultimately aimed at limiting damage to the national economy.
With a public on edge, Congress, the White House and presidential contenders are scrambling to come up with their own relief plans even as they engage in a political blame game.
In March, construction companies cut 51,000 jobs, factories eliminated 48,000 positions, retailers cut payrolls by more than 12,000. Professional and businesses services lost 35,000 jobs and temporary help firms cut nearly 22,000 jobs. Financial firms chopped 5,000 jobs.
When government hiring was removed, the numbers looked even worse. Private employers shed 98,000 jobs in March.
With the pace of hiring slowing down, the number of unemployed people increased to 7.8 million in March; workers with jobs saw only modest wage gains at the same time.
Average hourly earnings for jobholders rose to $17.86 in March, a 0.3 percent increase from the previous month. That matched economists' forecasts. Over the past 12 months, wages grew 3.6 percent. With lofty energy and food prices, workers may feel like their paychecks are shrinking.
Many analysts believe the economy shrank in the first three months of this year and could still be ebbing now. The government will release its estimate of first-quarter economic growth later this month. Under one rough rule, if the economy contracts for six straight months it is considered in a recession.
Bernanke and the Bush administration, however, are hopeful the economy will improve in the second half of this year, helped by the government's $168 billion stimulus package of tax rebates for people and tax breaks for businesses, as well as the Fed's rate reductions.
Still, even Bernanke predicted this week that the unemployment rate would rise in the months ahead. Some analysts say it could climb to 5.5 percent or higher by year's end

2008 Job Outlook for New Grads and Others

You're about to earn your degree -- now you're ready to earn the paycheck to match. According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 14 million job openings are projected to spring up for degree-wielding professionals between 2004 and 2014, 6.9 million of which are expected to be open to new college graduates. These "pure-college" professions require at least a bachelor's degree and thus give college grads an edge over the competition.
It's no surprise that medicine and law fall into this category. But while those fields are notoriously competitive, opportunities abound in other areas. Accounting and IT are joining the roster of vocations that require a college degree -- and along with education, they comprise the fields expected to outpace all other pure-college occupations. Apply for one of these positions, and your degree could make all the difference.
1. Accountants and Auditors
Of the "pure college" professions, accounting has the most opportunities for non-grads, as 25 percent of workers in the field do not have a bachelor's degree. Although some entry-level positions may not require a degree, "if you're looking for growth in your career, you absolutely have to have a degree," according to Ralph Diaz, a senior recruiter with Accountants One, an accounting and financial placement team in Atlanta. But, he adds, "If you're looking for growth in your career, you absolutely have to have a degree."
This is especially true for certified public accountants, since aspiring CPAs are required to complete 150 college credits before even taking the exam. The payoff is that job opportunities in accounting far outnumber other business and finance positions.
EXPECTED OPENINGS: 486,000MEDIAN INCOME: $50,770
2. Computer Applications Software Engineers
Innovations in computer software have made computer applications software engineering one of the fastest growing fields in the job market. But although the occasional college dropout might land an enviable position (ahem, Bill Gates), most software engineers will need to complete a four-year curriculum.
"To get a position in the software field without a degree, you'd have to be a genius," said Dean Clairmont, a project manager with EES, an engineering executive search firm based in San Diego. "The bachelor's degree barely gets you in the door; you really want to pursue at least a master's in computer science."
EXPECTED OPENINGS: 268,000MEDIAN INCOME: $74,980
3. Elementary School Teachers
A key component of the No Child Left Behind Act requires schools that receive federal funding under the Act to hire new teachers with bachelor's degrees and certification and to ensure that all teachers of core academic subjects have bachelor's degrees, certification, and competency in their fields. Currently, approximately 92 percent of elementary school teachers hold a bachelor's degree or higher. And teachers have plenty of incentive to further their education. Those who hold a master's degree in education often qualify for a higher salary, and many schools allow working teachers to pursue postgraduate degrees while still actively employed.
EXPECTED OPENINGS: 587,000MEDIAN INCOME: $43,160
4. Secondary School Teachers
Approximately 95 percent of secondary teachers have completed a bachelor's degree; teachers are typically encouraged to pursue a degree in the subject they wish to teach before completing their required education courses and certification program.
Want to improve your chances of landing a position? Earn your degree in one of the most sought-after areas of expertise -- math, science or bilingual studies.
EXPECTED OPENINGS: 436,000MEDIAN INCOME: $45,650
5. Postsecondary Teachers
As college degrees become increasingly essential, so do college professors. The field of postsecondary education is expected to grow at twice the national average -- and offer more job opportunities than any other pure-college occupation.
A degree is required for anyone who wants to take advantage. Kristina Quay, an instructor at Sampson Community College in North Carolina, attests that her master's degree in education was vital to her attaining a faculty position: "There's no way you'll get hired without it," she says.
EXPECTED OPENINGS: 892,000MEDIAN INCOME: $51,800

Five Tips on Finding a New Job

The jury's still out on where the job market is heading, but one thing is certain: Employers have put the brakes on hiring. Job creation fell by 17,000 in January, the first month of decline in more than four years. Hard-hit industries like banking and real estate are already seeing layoffs and hiring freezes, and that means more qualified applicants are chasing fewer job openings.
Given that backdrop, job seekers should be prepared to dig a little deeper, says Cheryl Lynch Simpson, career coach with Ricklin-Echikson Associates. "The quality of your job search skills becomes more critical in an uncertain economic climate," Simpson says. "In a nutshell, your skills need to be better, you need to be more aware of career branding, and you must be more strategic about approaching employers." Here are five tips from the pros on how to land a job in this turbulent market:
More From U.S. News & World Report: • Careers for Changing Job Landscapes • Using the Web to Search for a Job • Best Careers 2008
Don't count on the job boards. Online search engines and résumé banks are seductive in their promises to connect job seekers with dozens of potential employers. Some career advisers call these sites "résumé black holes," which may be a stretch, but job boards do have significant limitations.
For one, many companies prescreen résumés using software that hunts for key words relating to skills, training, degrees, and experience. Even if you are a perfect match for the job, "your résumé may never get to someone who could decipher your potential value," says Debra Feldman of JobWhiz, an executive job search consultant.
An even bigger issue is that the vast majority of jobs are never advertised—online or anywhere. Says Feldman: "That's why you should put almost all of your job energy into networking and proportionally very little time submitting résumés online."
Tap your network. Ideally, you already keep in touch with an assortment of former colleagues and industry peers who will notify you about job leads before they go public. "More important than what you know is who knows what you know," Feldman says. "Make sure you're on the radar of people who have access to the kind of job leads you want."
If you're looking to work for a specific company, the key is to connect with a current employee. That might mean asking contacts in your network to leverage their network. An easy way to accomplish this is through a networking site like LinkedIn.com, where you can essentially connect with your friends' friends. "First, ask for an introduction," says Penelope Trunk, author of Brazen Careerist: The New Rules for Success. "Then, if you're at a lower level, the social etiquette is to say you want an informational interview. If you're at a high level, say you want to talk about the market and where the industry is going."
Offer to help others. Stay in regular contact with your network so you're not asking for a favor once every couple of years, Simpson says. "Periodically pass along a tip or an article," she says. "Think of it as putting money in the bank."
If you must contact someone out of the blue, offer something in return, such as an invitation to a lecture or a link to a website that might be of interest, Feldman says. "Chances are, if you had a warm relationship, people are happy to rekindle it," she says. "If you never had one at all, they might be startled, but they'll also likely be flattered."
Leverage the blogosphere. Find blogs relevant to your industry that are written by professionals at the top of their career, says Trunk, and become a regular commenter. "The great thing about the blogosphere is that it rewards ideas and passion, so you're not judged based on your résumé," she says. Once you've developed rapport with a blogger, ask about career advice and job leads.
Promote your brand. Forget modesty: Establish yourself as an expert in your industry. This might be as simple as volunteering your skills for a community project, participating in an online forum, creating a website, or—you guessed it—blogging. You could also try your hand at writing for an industry trade journal or an alumni newsletter. "Almost everyone can be a published author," Feldman says. The idea is to build credibility in your field and set yourself apart from the competition.

Five Steps to a Successful Phone Interview

If your resume did its job and sold you for the position you want, the next step is usually a phone interview with the employer. This phone screen usually takes place with a company recruiter or HR staffer to prequalify you for an opening. Since your attitude and answers can either move you to the next round or signal "game over," you want to be ready before you get that call.
Here are the five required action steps to take during your phone screen to help move you forward to that all-important, face-to-face interview:
1. Brand yourself.
You're not the only candidate being called. A lackluster performance will get you quickly scratched. If you can differentiate yourself from the beginning, you'll rise well above your competitors. One of the surest ways to accomplish this is to develop a personal branding statement of your own. Also called a Unique Selling Proposition, this is a short sentence that describes who you are, your biggest strength, and the major benefit that you offer your next employer.
A personal branding statement (or USP) might be: "I'm a seasoned Project Manager whose strengths in identifying and solving problems have saved my employers over $10 million while completing over $35 million in projects during the past nine years."
A branding statement like this makes you memorable because it's focused and it offers a benefit (saving $10M). If you develop a branding statement, or USP, that clearly can identify who you are and what you can bring to an employer, you've caught their interest and separated yourself from the pack.
2. Show enthusiasm.
A positive attitude can go a long way in your marketing efforts. This is your opportunity to shine on the phone, so take full advantage. This is especially important if the call came at an "inopportune moment" and you feel caught off guard. If this is the case, remember, you're not the only candidate they're talking with. When the call comes, congratulate yourself, knowing that you were one of the few who did make the initial cut. Now it's time to put on your "game face"; join the conversation with pure enthusiasm and demonstrate the conviction that you are a top candidate for this job.
3. Listen and answer carefully.
One of the major complaints from employers and recruiters about candidates is that too often the candidate doesn't answer the question being asked. Since you're on the phone, this is especially critical because you don't have the advantage of visual cues such as eye contact or body language. Listen carefully to the question being asked and answer that question only. Don't ramble or try to anticipate the next question, or you may talk your way out of the next step -- a possible job interview.
4. Flatter them.
It pays to do some research on any company you apply to. After all, the question, "Why are you interested in us?", is going to come up. Therefore, it makes good sense to have your ducks in line before the call and to be ready to mention why this company impresses you. Don't be bashful. Mention the product line, their superior management, their unique marketing approach, etc. Make sure you have something positive to say about them.
5. Close.
At the end of the phone interview, if you would like to proceed and talk further with this company, take the initiative and ask what a good time might be for scheduling a face-to-face interview. If you feel uncomfortable asking that, then ask this simple question: "What's our next step?" This should eliminate any confusion and set the stage for your follow-up date, should you not hear back before then.

Keywords Give Your Resume an Edge

In many employers you may be targeting for a job search, your resume will likely be screened by a computer long before it hits human eyes. Keywords can help your resume beat the system.
Companies use this method to help filter the thousands of resumes received into piles for qualified candidates and unqualified candidates. Unfortunately, this separation process isn't perfect. Sometimes, qualified job candidates are filtered into the wrong pile -- ending the job hunt before it even began.
Get Cues from Basic Research
Recruiters strongly suggest your resume includes keywords. Keywords are significant or memorable words that pertain to a subject utilizing bullet points. Recruiters say you can discover a company's keywords with some basic research.
Before structuring your resume, you should cruise through the company's corporate web site and take note of the listed values, mission statement, and objectives. Then, scope out the text of your preferred job listing and take note of specific qualifications, skills, required years of experience, or detailed phrases.
Chances are that the website will have an "about us" and a "careers opportunity" section that will provide clues to help you find what the company is looking for in a new employee.
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View the following videos on CareerTV.com:
Writing a Successful Cover Letter
Avoid Desperation in Your Job Search
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Some Words Have More Value
If a company continually mentions their business' relationship with a community, add any community service positions that you have held on your resume. Including these activities can help you catch the machine's attention. Odds are those are the words programmed into the company's resume screening databases.
The more words the scanner recognizes, the more value is attached to the resume.
Tips for Adding Value
Don't overdue it. Because so many resumes are being submitted, you want to make sure that your resume is a quick, easy read. Take your time and look carefully while researching a company so that you can filter out what the most important words and phrases are. You can add the strongest keywords into your resume without any excess baggage.
Try bold type, bullets. Once you identify the company's keywords you should find ways to build those words into your bullet points. When resume keyword searches were first introduced, college career services centers recommended listing keywords at the top of your resume. Recruiters tell us those days are history. These days, recruiters suggest bolding your keywords or an entire bullet point to add extra emphasis to your points.
Remember the cover letter. Some companies use keyword scans on cover letters as well, so be sure to add keywords to your cover letter when applying electronically.
Look for variety. Utilize the keywords so that they appear in all the forms that can be written. If you write that you have received a "master's in business administration" and refer to it again later on in the letter, write the acronym "MBA" to cover all the ways the machine may be reading your letter.

The New World of Job Interviews

The employment interview isn't what it used to be. While the vast majority of interviews are the standard face-to-face variety, technological advancements have made it possible for employers and applicants to connect quickly in other ways.
Some hiring managers conduct phone interviews during the early phases of candidate searches; others may request you meet via videoconference if you live far away. And, yes, certain companies even hold virtual job fairs.
Following are tips for success when participating in non-traditional job interviews.
The Phone Interview
Minimize distractions. Conduct the call from a quiet, private setting. You won't impress hiring managers if they hear loud pets, honking horns, or your clicking keyboard in the background. If possible, use a landline (which is often more reliable than cellular phones), and disable the call-waiting function.
Speak up. Because the interviewer can't read your facial reactions or body language, verbalize your thoughts. After the hiring manager completes a thought, say something like, "Yes, that aspect of the job sounds appealing" to keep the discussion moving. Speak with confidence and enthusiasm.
Have supplies handy. Keep your resume and cover letter at arm's length, as well as any company research you've collected. You also might prepare a bulleted list of speaking points or questions. Make sure a pen and pad are nearby for taking notes.
The Videoconference Interview
Mock it up. It's intimidating to be interviewed on camera. Calm jittery nerves by doing a trial run with a friend or family member. Record the mock interview and study areas where you can improve. Did you look at the camera, or did your eyes dart nervously around the room? Did you exhibit good posture or slouch? Rehearsing will help ensure you're polished at showtime.
Beware of busy backgrounds. Most video interviews are conducted at a videoconference site, your recruiter's workplace or an employer's satellite office. Wherever you are, remain the focal point by clearing the table of clutter. If you do the interview from home, choose a professional-looking, well-lit setting. In addition, make sure your computer's webcam and microphone are working properly a day in advance.
Dress to impress. Dress as nicely as you would for an on-site visit. And don't assume you'll only be visible from the shoulders up. More than a few jacket-clad candidates have unexpectedly been seated at see-through glass tables or stood up to reveal fashion faux pas such as jeans or shorts.
The Virtual Interview
Wear appropriate avatar apparel. An avatar is a computer-generated icon you create to represent yourself online. If you attend a virtual job fair on Second Life, a popular online community, for instance, your avatar should look professional. You don't necessarily need to don a virtual suit for an "in-world" corporate recruiting event, but don't show up as a flashy nightclub-goer, space alien, or vampire.
Message with care. When communicating via instant message on Second Life, focus on accuracy, not speed. Hiring managers will likely forgive a typo or two, but making a series of grammatical goofs will cause them to question your writing skills and attention to detail. Take a moment to proofread your message and steer clear of emoticons and cyber slang.
No matter what the meeting format, always send a thank-you note to those with whom you interview. Even when communicating with a hiring manager using high-tech tools, a traditional handwritten letter of appreciation will be well received.

Make Your Resume Stand out From the Pack

Make Your Resume Stand out From the Pack

Question: I have recently moved, and it has been tough finding work. I started looking for work back in April. What can I do to enhance my resume and land a job?-- Trying to Stand Out, South Bend, IN
Answer: So, what can you do to make sure your resume is selected from a stack that could be 400 deep? That's the challenge when it comes time to writing your resume.
The key is to make sure you write an accomplishment resume as opposed to a job-description resume.
Focus on Accomplishments
This is the single biggest mistake that virtually all job-seekers make: Most people write job description resumes. In essence, they describe not only what they did, but what anyone would have done. Here's an example:
Sales Representative, Szabo Industrial, Minneapolis, MN, 2003-Present
* Sold manufacturing components to clients throughout the Midwest
* Developed and maintained strong relationships with all customers
* Created call lists and scheduled in-person visits
* Managed personal budget and prepared reports
Now that may sound good, but the sad fact is that every sales rep in the history of Szabo Industrial -- or any company for that matter -- did those exact same things. The recruiting director will not say, "Wow this guy was a sales rep and he developed relationships with his clients -- let's get him in here."
The key to a great resume is to focus on what YOU specifically accomplished. What did you do that was unique, special, different, or distinctive?
Define Your Accomplishments
Think about your accomplishments -- both in terms of scope and results.
Scope: How big? How much? How many? How often?
Results: Did you grow sales? Did you save the company money? Were you recognized for your achievement? Did you create something new?
If you can guess from these questions, you get accomplishments through numbers, numbers, and more numbers. You want to be as specific as you can in everything you write.
A Better Example
Let's look at a new version of the sample resume. Same person, same job, but a very different resume
Sales Representative, Szabo Industrial, Minneapolis, MN, 2003-Present* Sold $35 million in industrial products to more than 1,200 clients throughout the Midwest
Ranked second out of 21 national sales reps
Exceeded company-mandated sales goals by 19%
* Personally secured more than 350 new customers through dedicated cold calling and in-person visits
* Managed a budget of $75,000 annually -- decreasing spending by 18%
* Prepared dozens of comprehensive summary reports delivered monthly to national VP of sales
Sounds quite a bit better, doesn't it? Wouldn't you want to hire this person? I know I would.
Here's a great evaluation tip: If what's written on your resume can be written by the person who held the job before you or after you -- rip up your resume and start over.
Good luck!

Four Steps to a Better Job Interview

Here's a question I often hear: What are some things I can do to prepare for a job interview?
Answer: There really aren't too many things in life more awkward than a job interview. You're dressed in formal business clothing, sitting across from a stranger. This stranger has the right to ask you anything from the most elaborate to the most mundane questions. And you have to spend an hour talking about nothing but yourself. Actually it sounds pretty similar to a blind date!
Just like a blind date, there are some definite no-no's you need to avoid if you want to make it to the next level.
1. Don't try to outwit or outguess the interviewer.
Most candidates go into a job interview thinking it's a contest where the goal is to defeat the interviewer in some type of battle of wits.
"Aha, Brad has asked me this question. Clearly, that is some type of trick question. I just don't know what the trick is yet. Here's how I would normally answer the question, but instead I should say what he probably wants to hear."
That thinking is when good interviews go bad. Sit back, relax, and pretend it is a conversation with a friend. Those are the best interviews.
2. Read the job description.
I call the job description the "cheat sheet" for the interview. Chances are the items listed on the job description will come up in the interview. For instance, if the job description says, "looking for creative problem-solvers" one of the questions you will receive is, "Give me an example of when you creatively solved a problem."
3. Have reasons for everything you've done.
Most companies conduct behavioral interviews. It means they are more interested in the hows and the whys as opposed to the whats. They want to know what makes you tick. An interviewer is not simply going to say, "Oh, I see that you worked as a sales rep in your last job. Cool."
That interviewer may spend about 10 minutes asking questions about the job: "What did you like about the job? What were your accomplishments? What were your biggest mistakes?"
And on and on. Be sure you have answers.
4. Ask questions.
There is nothing more damaging than not having a single question at the end of an interview. It shows that you have no curiosity or interest in the organization. Almost every interviewer will leave about five minutes at the end of the interview to answer questions. Make sure you have a couple. Two or three questions is appropriate, and they can be either personal questions -- "What do you like about working here?" -- or they can be business questions -- "How has the Internet affected your business?"
There you have it. Four quick ways that you can make sure you ace the interview and have the job offers rolling in. Good luck!

5 Ways to Keep Your Job During a Recession

While a recession may not be inevitable, the economy is showing slowed growth, and this could mean that some companies consider downsizing. Worries about a U.S. recession have many also worrying about their jobs.
You want to make sure that you can keep your job if times get tougher. Below are five things you can do to improve your chances of being kept on.
1. Come up with ways to cut costs. See areas of waste at your company? Point out practical ways to improve efficiency and cut costs in the workplace. Obviously, now is not the time to ask for a raise. Bonus: If you can see a potential new revenue stream that requires a low (or better yet, no) cost investment, get that going. Someone who is innovative at stretching resources is more valuable than someone who does nothing more than consume them.
2. Boost your visibility. You want to be noticed in a positive way. Make sure you are on time to work, and that you limit your vacation time. Also, if you are making solid contributions, make sure that they are noticed. You don't have to be obnoxious about it, but you should make sure that your boss is aware of what you add to the company. You want to be known. The first people fired are those with a negative impression. The next to go are those that are unnoticed and therefore expendable.
3. Go beyond. Look for ways to go beyond what you've been told to do. Volunteer for additional tasks. But be careful! Don't volunteer for more than you can handle. You want to be known as a go-getter who gets the job done well.
4. Improve your skill set. Are your skills obsolete? Take extra classes to brush up the latest skills. If career improvement seminars are offered at work, attend them. You want to show your employer that you are still viable in the workplace, and that you have the necessary training to continue doing a good job.
5. Watch your attitude. Now is not the time to complain constantly. If you have constructive ways to make the workplace better, present them in a professional manner. Do not whine or complain excessively. A reputation as a morale-killer can lose you your job.
And, because there's no guarantee that you will retain your job in a recession, no matter how hard you try, it doesn't hurt to be prepared. On your own time, update your resume. Also, make sure that you are still networking with old bosses, coworkers, and business contacts. Don't wait until you are laid off to keep your contacts and resume fresh. You will get better results if you are prepared ahead of time.

It's The Economy, Stupefying

It's The Economy, Stupefying

3 days ago Sun, 09 Mar 2008 09:00:00 PDT
The money experts didn't need to tell ordinary no-longer-working joes that the economy isn't good, but who doesn't appreciate a little validation? In the past several days, the most popular news stories (other than primary coverage) have been about some unwelcome all-time highs: auto repossessions (highest since 1998), job cuts (deepest since 2003), oil prices (highest ever), and foreclosures (highest ever).Not everything was a high—the dollar set a new low against the Euro before bouncing back like a bad check.
The news got so bad that the president comped to a "clear" slowdown while reminding people about the "booster shot" coming their way. The reminder put aside searches for "surviving a recession" long enough to revive impatient queries into "economic stimulus package" and "rebate checks." Indeed, even the term "irs spokesman john" came under Search fire, after one John Lipold confirmed in an AP story that IRS letters were coming—at a $42 mil cost—to explain how the checks were coming.
Search signs of a sick market have risen as well: "Stagflation" queries have more than doubled since January, and "recession" searches continue to rise unabated. It takes two negative quarters to have a recession, which the economy hasn't suffered, but the lookups speak to the perception. Questions about "what is inflation" rose +102% in the past 30 days, and people have been estimating the "inflation rate" on their own by checking an online "inflation calculator." Opportunists who scoured "foreclosure listings" and "government tax foreclosures" have dropped off, and "real estate investments" searches have declined.
Despite cold hard economic numbers, people have been been making do: figuring out whether to "rent or buy a house" (+235%), using a "cheap gas price finder" (+137%) to save at the pump, seeking "credit card debt relief" (+37%), and finding a way to support themselves, as the below list of employment and unemployment shows.
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (+209%)
California Department of Unemployment (+201%)
Walmart Employment Applications (+189%)
Indiana Unemployment Uplink (+129%)
Wisconsin Unemployment Weekly Claim (+115%)
City of Houston Employment (+61%)
Temporary Employment Agencies (+24%)
USPS.com/employment (+10%)
City of Chicago Employment City Jobs (+9%)
Target Stores Employment (+8%)
Interestingly, number one is a federal agency which recently released a report denoting another misbegotten high: a rise in job discrimination complaints. And according to one source, a worsening economy likely begets more complaints. Forget booster shots—maybe radiation therapy's in order here.

Job Listings

Job losses' ramifications far-reaching

Employers in almost all sectors are postponing or canceling plans to hire new workers. If the hiring downturn continues, the ramifications for the economy could be major:
•Many analysts say a paucity of jobs will push America's economy into a recession, if it isn't there already.
•Consumer confidence – running at a low point – could continue to fall as Americans become discouraged about their job prospects.
•The Federal Reserve, which meets March 18 to decide interest-rate policy, will be under pressure for significant rate cuts – perhaps as much as another three-quarters of a percentage point.
"This could be a big turning point in the economy," says Mark Vitner, senior economist at Wachovia Securities in Charlotte, N.C. "It's clear that we are losing momentum, and weakness in the economy is broadening."
The latest indication of weakness in the job market came Friday, when the Labor Department reported that the economy shed 63,000 jobs last month. This follows a loss of 22,000 jobs in January. Although the actual unemployment rate went from 4.9 percent to 4.8 percent, economists say a more telling number is some 644,000 individuals who in January gave up looking for work and dropped out of the labor force altogether.
"The increase in disappointed workers, the most since 2003, is consistent with across-the-board reluctance to hire," says Andrew Stettner, an analyst at the National Employment Law Project in New York.
Problems in the job market come against a backdrop of yet more turmoil in the credit markets. Banks are asking hedge funds to meet margin calls as the hedge funds' financial assets fall in value.
In addition, the stock and bond markets reacted badly to an announcement last week by Ambac Financial Group, an insurer of financial assets, that it would try to raise $1.5 billion by issuing new stock. Ambac is trying to maintain its AAA credit rating.
On Friday morning, in an attempt to shore up the credit markets, the Fed announced that it would expand a special funding facility for banks. This would make it easier for them to borrow money.
"The whole point of the funding is they need to get some normalcy to return to the banking system," says Bob Brusca, an economist with Fact & Opinion Economics in New York.
Many in the credit markets are convinced that the Fed will drop interest rates sharply when it meets March 18.
"I expect a half-a-point drop, but the bond market is already pricing in a three-quarter-of-a-point drop," says Richard DeKaser, Washington-based chief economist at National City Corp., a Cleveland bank. "There is even a small possibility of a full percentage-point drop."
Even the prospect of a significant decline in interest rates has done little to help Wall Street. For the week, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 372.70 points to 11893.69. The Dow is down more than 1150 points for the year.
Despite the prospect of declining demand for petroleum products in the United States as the economy slows, the price of oil has continued to march higher. On Friday, it closed at $105.15 a barrel.
"There is no question high energy prices are an additional drag on the economy," says Mr. Vitner.
A close look at labor numbers seems to indicate that the downturn in hiring is hitting younger Americans the hardest. Over the past year, workers between the ages of 35 and 44 have seen their employment drop 2.1 percent, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR) in Washington. Even younger workers fared worse, as those between ages 20 and 24 saw their employment drop 3.5 percent. Teenage employment fell 6.2 percent.
"Layoffs are usually based on reverse seniority, so maybe someone who has held a job for 10 to 15 years holds on to their job when younger workers don't," says Dean Baker, codirector of CEPR.
Last month, layoffs spread beyond the housing sector and financial institutions. The durable-goods business lost 40,000 jobs. In the auto industry, 12,900 jobs disappeared. In the past year, employment in that industry shrank by some 75,500 jobs.
Short-term prospects for the auto industry are not good, since a strike is under way at Detroit-based American Axle & Manufacturing, Vitner says. The strike, which started on Feb. 26, is affecting 20 plants. Last Thursday, for example, General Motors said it would reduce work at eight facilities.
"The strike is putting more pressure on the auto companies," Vitner says.
Jobs in the retail sector are also being eliminated. Last month, 34,100 jobs were shed. The losses have been particularly noticeable for clothing stores, which have reduced employment by 29,500 jobs since October.
The drop in retail jobs may reflect a drop in consumer spending, after adjusting for inflation.
"With energy prices high, there has been a real drain on discretionary income," Mr. DeKaser says.
The loss of jobs won't alleviate problems in the housing sector. Until recently, a strong labor market was a main factor driving up incomes. Now, a rising tide of layoffs could exacerbate mortgage problems, DeKaser worries. "The labor market was the last bulwark on foreclosures," he says. "Increasingly, those on the margin will find the lack of jobs makes it all the more difficult to keep up with their house payments."

Dangerous cracks in the nation's job market are deepening. Employers slashed jobs by the largest amount in five years and hundreds of thousands of people dropped out of the labor force -- ominous signs that the country is falling toward a recession or has already toppled into one.
For the second straight month, nervous employers got rid of jobs nationwide. In February, they sliced payrolls by 63,000, even deeper than the 22,000 cut in January, the Labor Department reported Friday.
The grim snapshot of the country's employment climate underscored the heavy toll the housing and credit debacles are taking on companies, jobseekers and the economy as a whole.
"It sounds like the recession bell is ringing for the U.S. economy, although it is still faint," said Stuart Hoffman, chief economist at PNC Financial Services Group.
On Wall Street, stocks tumbled. The Dow Jones lost 146.70 points, a little more than 1 percent to close at 11,893.69. The Dow was down 370 for the last two days of the week.
The worsening situation will prompt the Federal Reserve to cut a key interest rate deeply -- perhaps by as much as three-quarters of a percentage point -- at its next meeting March 18, or possibly sooner, to help brace the teetering economy, analysts predicted.
The shower of pink slips was widespread. Factories, construction companies, mortgage brokers, real-estate firms, retailers, temporary-help firms, child day-care providers, hotels, educational services, accounting firms and computer designers were among those shedding jobs. All those cuts swamped job gains at hospitals and other health care sites, bars and restaurants, legal services and the government.
"Losing a job is painful, and I know Americans are concerned about our economy; so am I," said President Bush. "It's clear our economy has slowed."
The big question: Just how much? The weak employment report pushed an increasing number of private economists into believing the economy is probably shrinking now. Under one rough rule, the economy would have to contract for six months for the country to be considered in a recession.
The unemployment rate actually dipped slightly from 4.9 percent to 4.8 percent, as 450,000 people left the labor force for any number of reasons. Economists thought many people probably gave up looking for work.
"It stands to reason that a large share of the people left because they didn't feel like anything was there for them -- that the market was too weak to be searching for a job at this point," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody's Economy.com.
To relieve persistent credit problems, the Federal Reserve announced Friday that it will increase the amount of loans it plans to make available to banks this month to $100 billion. The Fed already has provided a total of $160 billion in short-term loans to cash-strapped banks since December. The Fed, in another step, said it will make $100 billion available to a broad range of financial players through a series of separate transactions.
Crumbling employment conditions are feeding fears the economy will fall victim to all the stresses. Until recently, the positive forces of job and wage growth have helped to offset the negative forces hitting people from the housing and credit crises. Now people and businesses alike are more cautious, spelling more trouble for the economy.
"The debate should no longer be about whether there is or is not a recession, only about how deep it will be," said Nigel Gault, chief economist at Global Insight.
The elimination of 63,000 jobs in February was the most since March 2003 and marked the second month in a row of job losses. The last time the economy suffered two consecutive months of job losses was in May and June 2003, when the labor market was still struggling to recover from the blows of the 2001 recession.
"Businesses got cold feet, and when that happens the easiest thing to do is to put hiring on hold and wait until the dust clears," said Ken Mayland, economist at ClearView Economics.
Economic growth slowed to a near standstill of just a 0.6 percent pace in the final quarter of last year. Before Friday's employment report, many thought growth would weaken further -- around a 0.4 percent pace. Now, however, a growing number think the economy is contracting.
Bush's top economic adviser, Edward Lazear, acknowledged Friday that the economy may dip into negative territory in the current quarter. Lazear's comment was the most pessimistic assessment heard out of the White House. He would not discuss whether the White House believes the economy will actually fall into a recession.
The Bush administration was hoping the government's speedily enacted economic stimulus package -- including tax rebates for people and tax breaks for businesses -- will help bolster the economy in the second half of this year.
"I know this is a difficult time for our economy, but we recognized the problem early and provided the economy with a booster shot," Bush said. "We will begin to see the impact over the coming months," the president predicted.
Democrats, however, said more relief is needed now.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., spoke of charting a "new direction for our economy." Rep. Barney Frank of Massachusetts, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, called for action to stem record-high home foreclosures.
The Democratic presidential contenders, Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York and Barack Obama of Illinois, blamed the job losses on what they believe are failed Bush policies. "The news should put to rest any doubts that our economy is in deep trouble," Clinton said. Obama said the employment news meant "more heartache and struggle" for Americans.
On the employment front, workers with jobs saw modest wage gains.
Average hourly earnings for jobholders rose to $17.80 in February, a 0.3 percent increase from the previous month. Over the last 12 months, wages were up 3.7 percent. With lofty energy and food prices, though, workers may feel like their paychecks are shrinking.
Spreading fallout from the housing and credit troubles are the main factors behind the economic slowdown. People and businesses alike are feeling the strains and have turned cautious. Adding to the stresses on pocketbooks, budgets and the economy: skyrocketing energy prices. Oil prices, which have set a string of record highs in recent days, now top $105 a barrel. Gasoline prices have marched higher, too.
All those problems are putting consumers in a gloomy state of mind.
Consumer confidence sank to a new low of 33.1 in early March, according to the RBC Cash Index. That was the worst since the index began in 2002.
To help shore up the economy, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke signaled last week that the central bank is prepared to lower interest rates again. Economists are now predicting a deep rate reduction by the Fed on or before its regularly scheduled meeting March 18. The Fed, which has been slicing the rate since September, recently turned more forceful. It slashed the rate by 1.25 percentage points during just eight days in January -- the biggest one-month reduction in a quarter-century.