It is a sign of the times. Given the current economic woes, many people are turning to a second job to make extra income.  Things are bad everywhere with no sign of improvement on the horizon.  The temporary boost in employment statistics generated by the thousands of part-time census jobs has evaporated.  The numbers just keep getting worse. Here in Florida we had a .1% jump, which wouldn't seem so awful if we weren't already at record unemployment levels.  Now unemployed job seekers have to face off against not just their unemployed brethren, but also the employed (and therefore...

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MOSAIC may not be a household name, but they are the world’s largest phosphate mining company. They provide the raw materials that go into the fertilizer that grows the fruit and vegetable products that you consume every day. Last week, they announced plans to lay off over 200 workers from their plant in rural Polk County, FL. You read the headline that a company resorted to layoffs and your logical response is “it’s the economy, stupid.” Good answer, but wrong. It isn’t the economy. It isn’t a lack of demand or resources and it isn’t...

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News-flash:  The economy isn't doing so well.  I know that's a shock to those of you who live in a cave on a deserted island and haven't seen a TV or the Internet for the last three years.  For the rest of us, it's just more of the same.  The only question that remains is: when will it get better? Ask ten economists, and you'll get ten different predictions as to when the economy will turn around.  The only commonalities will be that they all think it's a ways off, and they'll all tell you something different than they did six...

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Before we even start, let me be clear about this one thing: the earthquake in Haiti and the resulting devastation was a terrible, terrible thing. We Americans, individually and collectively, should do what we can to help the people of Haiti recover from this disaster. I am not in the Rush Limbaugh, "Let 'em take care of themselves" camp. Having said that, this is a business blog, not a humanitarian aid blog or a general current events blog. So, it is appropriate that we take a look at the long term impact that this disaster may have on business, divorced from...

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There's an old adage that says when life hands you lemons, you should make lemonade. Well, the current job market is a bunch of lemons, if I've ever seen one.  But if you plan carefully and take a long term view, you can position yourself to come out of this better off than your competitors. If you've got a job, hold onto it.  For nearly every skill set and every industry, this is not a good time to be looking for a new job.  There's virtually no one doing any hiring, and those few that are looking are being swamped...

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