The U.S. unemployment rate declined again in December, dropping from November's 8.7 percent rate to 8.5 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Overall, 200,000 new jobs were added last month, with the biggest increases coming in transportation and warehousing (50,000), retail trade (28,000) and manufacturing (23,000). Construction remained stable, a positive sign given…

According to a recent Dice survey, 65 percent of internet technology hiring managers plan to add workers in the coming year. Furthermore, 42 percent expect payroll services to raise salaries for new hires in 2012. "It's the best time I've seen in years for people with IT skill sets to go find their dream jobs,"…

The transition from the military back to civilian life can be a difficult one, as war veterans have many factors working against them. For example, the Cronkite News reports that symptoms from post-traumatic stress disorder can be severely debilitating, as well as other physical ailments veterans may have incurred during their time in theater. Also,…

Sometimes, if a temporary worker is performing at a better-than-satisfactory level, the employee may find him or herself with a full-time position after the temping period ends. According to the American Staffing Association, 74 percent of job hunters seek full-time employment by temping first, Florida Today reports. Furthermore, a recent CareerBuilder report revaled that around…

The number of people looking to upgrade their positions as part-time or temporary workers by getting a full-time job typically increases during a recession as budgets become tighter, the Pioneer Press reports. In Minnesota, the number of part-time workers who would prefer to have a full-time job has tripled since January 2002, from 58,300 to…

A recent court case in Maine could have far-reaching implications regarding the rights of temporary workers, Business Insurance reports. Specifically, a Maine high court judge ruled a workers' compensation claimant cannot sue an employer that contracted with an employment agency for his labor. Charles Doughty was hired by community-based employment service provider Work Opportunities in…

January is a fresh start for both workers and employers. New budgets begin, hiring freezes end and the unemployed may see some new opportunities for full-time or temporary work. However, these people are likely to remain jobless if they commit three cardinal sins listed by Business Insider. The first is posting the wrong dates on…

Expedia's recent 2011 Vacation Deprivation study revealed that around the world, workers failed to use an average of four vacation days this year - an increase from three days in 2010. Italian workers topped the list, leaving an average of seven days on the table. Japanese employees followed with six days, while Americans typically did…

Are drug users who prefer to get high rather than search for a job wasting the government's unemployment benefits funds? That's the question posed by New York Republican Representative Tom Reed, who recently suggested that the unemployed can't find work "because of their own bad decisions," The Huffington Post reports. The assumption isn't unfounded. According…

Despite the still grim overall job landscape, more businesses have adapted to create workforce models that merge full-time, part-time, local, remote and contract workers, according to a recent survey from Elance. The growth in hiring for online positions has soared. Specifically, 83 percent of respondents planned to hire up to 50 percent of their workers…