50% laid-off US workers have found new job

Amid the gloomy job market scenario, there is some good news around the corner as the finding of a new survey shows that half of the workers in the United States who were laid-off in the last three months have found a new occupation.

According to a survey conducted within the US by research firm Harris Interactive for job portal CareerBuilder.com, 41 per cent of workers who were laid-off from full-time jobs in the last three months have found new full-time permanent positions, while another 8 per cent found part-time work.

"This is encouraging news for the 3.3 million workers who have lost their jobs in the recent months," CareerBuilder North America President Brent Rasmussen said adding that "it's going to take longer to find a job in today's market, but there are opportunities out there in key areas such as healthcare, government, education, sales and technology."

The survey that included 807 workers who were laid-off from full-time jobs in the last 12 months found that more men than women who were laid-off were able to find an occupation.

"59 per cent of men compared to 49 per cent of women were able to find full-time employment," the survey said.

A comparison of age brackets shows workers aged between 35 and 44 were the most likely to find full-time jobs. Workers aged between 18 and 24 were least likely to get a job.

Amid a gloomy job market in order to maintain a steady pay check, workers are ready to relocate to a new city or state and are also expanding their job search beyond their own fields, the report said.

A highly competitive job market is also motivating some workers to be their own boss. One-in-four workers (25 per cent) who have not found jobs are considering starting their own business.

The financial implications of job losses were significant and affected the workers. Of those workers who were laid-off in the last 12 months, only 32 per cent received a severance package from their employers, which sustained them for one to two months only.

"45 per cent of workers who were laid-off in the last year had to tap into long-term savings as a result of losing their jobs," the report said.

Elaborating further Rasmussen said "it's important to devote five hours or more to your job search every day, check online listings, talk to recruiters, join social networking sites -- use all the resources you have available to you."

Rasmussen further recommended a few tips like -- making a list of your current skills and looking at a variety of job postings inside and outside one's field, besides making the resume eye-catching.