The Labor Department released the latest jobs report today.
Employers cut 524,000 jobs in December, bringing the unemployment rate to 7.2 percent. That percentage is the highest in 16 years according to Bloomberg News.
Still, most Americans plan to stay put in 2009. A recent survey by SnagAJob.com found that 73 percent of those polled planned to stay at their current job. Most of them cite being happy at their job as the reason.
Nearly one in five workers are grateful for the job they have and 7 percent said that times are tough to be looking for another job.
“Given the bleak economic news, we are surprised to see that there hasn’t been a significant decrease in the number of employed Americans who expect to undertake a new job search,” said Shawn Boyer, CEO of SnagAJob.com. “Intuitively, you might think that fewer workers would want to leave the security of a paycheck they’re already earning for the unknown of a job hunt and new job. But the positive news here — for employees and employers alike — is that the majority of employed Americans are still happy at their current jobs, and that’s a greater motivator to stay put, as opposed to feeling trapped because it’s a tough market.”
Pollsters surveyed nearly 1,100 people for the SnagAJob.com survey between Nov. 13 and Dec. 1, 2008.
If you’ve recently been laid off you can likely apply for unemployment insurance payments from the state in which you live. You can also call 1-877-USA-JOBS for assistance or look at the Department of Labor Web site: www.dol.gov.
In separate news, President-Elect Obama’s nominee for Labor Secretary, Hilda Solis, appeared in front of the Senate committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions today to start the confirmation process.