If this current recession has proven one thing clearly, it is that the concept of job security is an anachronism. Today’s Wall Street Journal features an article that overviews the aggressive depths to which employers have cut their workforces. Not wanting to be caught “fat,” many employers have been in a race to the bottom, a sort of limbo dance of lower and lower employment levels in the hope of stabilizing earnings.
It is part of an old playbook- because it works. It is an historic fact that unemployment peaks well after the end of most recessions. Chalk it up to this game of employment limbo. Because even after the economy turns around, employers stay focused on their cost-out activities, though the siren call for such has ended. This behavior is borderline paranoid and is an interesting example of knee-jerk leadership. The sad part, however, is that real people are jerked-around in the process.
But a funny thing is beginning to happen and it happens about this stage in each recession. Employers see their results improving and panic that they’ve set the employment limbo bar too low. They start hiring again. First slowly and usually in technical jobs. Then more rapidly and broadly. This bodes well for you, me and the overall economy. We will know that this phenomenon is well underway when the talking heads on CNBC stop fretting about a “jobless recovery.” Stay tuned.
In the meantime, if you have been looking for a job, prepare for the headwinds to die down a little. Don’t be discouraged and get focused like you were at first. If you are currently employed, be prepared to exploit the reverse limbo effect and land that better job in the company down the street. You may be able to negotiate for more pay, better bonus and most importantly, your next severance deal.