February Job Loss Numbers Released, Unemployment Over 8%

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today that the United States has reached its highest unemployment rate in 25 years: 8.1%. More than 4.4 million jobs have been lost since December 2007, including the 651,000 lay-offs in February.

Even worse news, say some economists, is the fact that so many of these jobs are in the manufacturing industry — a sector that is likely going to have be permanently altered as a result of this recession.

These jobs aren’t coming back anytime soon, if ever, say the experts. Which means that if you are dealing with a job loss in one of those sectors, it’s probably time to think about a career change. For some ideas, check out this recent post on recession-proof careers, including nursing jobs, education jobs and green collar jobs — all of which are fields the JobMonkey specializes in.

Amidst the grim news, there is a sliver of good news (good being an incredibly relative terms these days). Fewer people lost their jobs in February than in the two months previous, so maybe — just maybe — the tide is being stemmed?! Here’s hoping March’s unemployment numbers improve, too.