Since November, when respondents clicked their way through the salary portion of our Annual Meetings Market Survey ("Gainfully Employed," p. 37), more than three million jobs have been lost across the nation. At 8.5 percent, unemployment is at a 25-year high.

It's a grim statistic, to be sure. But there is a flip side, a recent New York Times article points out: Millions are still being hired. While 4.8 million workers were laid off or chose to leave their jobs in February, U.S. employers hired 4.3 million people, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

"The best thing that you can say about these numbers is that it speaks to the dynamism of the U.S. economy, and the net negative number that we all traffic in masks that," Robert J. Barbera, chief economist at research and trading firm ITG, told the Times.
Granted, those sectors doing the hiring are not the hospitality, association, or meetings industries (if we ever get to the point where we are classified as an industry in our own right). It's hospitals, colleges, discount stores, restaurants, and municipal public works departments.

Yet, I'm of the mind that our industry is every bit as dynamic as Barbera believes the U.S. economy is. Many of the participants at the Experient Breakfasts held during PCMA's 2009 Annual Meeting in New Orleans said they were experiencing staffing challenges at their organizations ("Short-Order Cooks," p. 51). But most of the organizations they worked for were doing everything they could to avoid layoffs. All agreed that they were doing more with less, but many said the economy has encouraged resourcefulness in their departments, resulting in streamlined processes and innovative working arrangements.

They also mentioned outsourcing of some of their meeting functions as a solution to staffing dilemmas, although our most recent short survey results did not bear that out ("Reality Check," p. 43). Ninety-six percent said that was not the case at their organizations.

At PCMA, it goes without saying that we're fully committed to the health of this profession. Our Career Stimulus Package offers Webinars that members can view 24/7, from "Making Yourself Indispensable" to "Resume Design for Senior Meeting Professionals." The PCMA Career Center (http://www.pcma.org/Careers.htm) features high-level meetings industry job opportunities and resources.

We also offer an Employment Transition Dues Reduction for those PCMA members who are able to demonstrate financial hardship due to job loss, among other reasons. Because the last thing you want to do without when you lose your job is access to resources - and to your professional community.

Put Yourself on the Map
Sticking with your job? Just 1.5 percent of workers voluntarily quit their jobs in February, the lowest level since the Bureau of Labor Statistics began collecting that data eight years ago. If, however, you find yourself in the job market, follow Dawn Penfold's tips for writing a strong cover letter to go with your resume ("You've Got It Covered," p. 26). As the saying goes, you never get a second chance to make a good first impression.