Benefits: Mid-week Skiing

If I could get a job that offers mid-week skiing as a benefit, I'd take it in a sec.  Oh wait, I don't have a job and can go mid-week skiing.  And I did (so good excuse for not blogging yesterday.)  Now if I could figure out a way to make money not having a job.

Tomorrow morning, December unemployment numbers come out and the powers that be are cautiously optimistic that the hemorrhaging of jobs has stopped and may is healing.  After all, the unemployment rate did dip in three dozen states. But the scars will take a long time to heal.

Booboo #1 Job Dissatisfaction: Time had an interesting piece about how dissatisfied Americans are with their jobs.  Only 45% of Americans are satisfied with their jobs compared to 48% in 2008 and compared to 61% in 1987 the first year of the Conference Board's survey.

One clue that may explain workers' growing dissatisfaction: Only 51% now find their jobs interesting — another low in the survey's 22 years. In 1987, nearly 70% said they were interested in their work.

That and wages suck.

Booboo #2 Long-term Unemployment: Last month the unemployment news was better than it's been in a long time - except for the number of people out of work for more than 6 months.

Almost 5.9 people million last month had been out of work at least 27 weeks and were still actively looking for a job, up from 5.6 million in October.

That December number is something to look for tomorrow.