[Gorzaloon]

Years have passed through economic good and bad and nothing changes. I still get jobs handily. I noticed this when I was younger as well; in other industries. But when you look at the math, it's not hard to see why. If the unemployment rate is only 6%, that means you really do have to suck to be out-competed by the 6% that no one wants to hire. Think about it.

Something I constantly preach to my nieces and nephews as a central creed:

Talent always wins. It may take years, but when you become good at something, particularly something that comes really easy to you, you will always have a job.

One VP once told me, in a flash of insight, "You have enough skills to keep you in the middle-income bracket forever".

OK, fine.

Because he lost his job, and was out of work for two years. Two years at Zero income pretty much levelled our decade-income average, didn't it?

[hopespringseternal]

One VP once told me, in a flash of insight, "You have enough skills to keep you in the middle-income bracket forever".

It all depends on where you fall in the middle-income bracket. Near the top is nice, near the bottom stinks. Some managers know that the best is far more valuable than the difference in salary, but most managers figure anyone below their level is instantly interchangeable with the next warm body willing to fill the position for less. That is why H1b visas are so popular.

[ableChair]

Yep, I'd say the averages pretty much matched in the end. I think that's a great creed and we need more like that in this self-pity society of ours. But I digress.