A 2018 Gallup survey put the number of gig workers at 36% of the workforce, or almost 57 million based on a workforce of at least 157 million+ people. But perhaps the more important revelation of the survey is what Gallup referred to as The Great Divide: Independent vs. Contingent Gig Workers. We?ll… Continue Reading

If you're unemployed, under-employed or just looking for a better employment situation, you may do well to ignore the unemployment rate. Like the official inflation rate and so many other statistics, the unemployment rates is - shall we say - highly optimized. It's more of a misleading indicator, an… Continue Reading

Charles Hugh Smith has written and spoken on many occasions that a college degree functions primarily as a signalling device. That is, it doesn't actually prepare the graduate for a job, but rather signals that he or she is worthy of consideration for employment. A college degree serves mainly as a … Continue Reading

When it comes to jobs, there?s a somewhat standardized version of how they should work. It?s something like full-time hours (35 to 40 hours per week), a guaranteed salary and a full line of benefits. When it comes to job hunting, this is the typical arrangement people look for. Unfortunately ? an in… Continue Reading

How many times have we heard that phrase, "Work hard and you?ll get ahead in life!" Is it true? Does working hard really get you ahead? I ask that question because the more I read and the more I talk with other people, I doubt if there's a definitive answer. Certainly when we were younger and in sch… Continue Reading

Often, business owners like to refer to their employees as part of a corporate ?family.? Yet, the reality is that coworkers aren?t family - they aren?t even friends. Sometimes, the only thing two team members have in common is that they share the same work space. While you don?t have to be best pals… Continue Reading

The tales of puny salary increases have become legend. In recent years, pay increases have been hovering around 2%. But that figure tells only part of the story. The other part is how your employer is paying you less than you think. For 2018 and 2019, the average increase has supposedly been/will… Continue Reading

All professionals have dreams. Whether you want to found your own business, climb the corporate ladder, or develop a new product, discovering how to make your professional aspirations a reality is one of the most difficult ?? but rewarding ?? endeavors anyone could hope to undertake. The sad truth i… Continue Reading

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the official unemployment rate is down to 3.7% for September. If that statistic is accurate, there should be a job available for everyone who wants one. What's more, there should be enough pressure on wages that salaries should be rising sharply. Bu… Continue Reading

This concept is becoming increasingly important as the economy and the job market evolve into something as yet not clearly defined. But it's even more important if you?re a relatively new entrant to the workforce, or you're an older worker, looking either to remain in the workforce, or cut a path in… Continue Reading