A new study from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom has come out saying that nice guys really do finish last. The nicer the guy, the less he will earn per year versus his more aggressive counterparts.

On average, it is 1,500 pounds per year less than the more aggressive coworker.

The study was conducted over 3,000 men. They were divided into five different personality types then it ranked their salaries. The lull in pay even accounted for education, occupation, experience, as well as training.

I suppose that this could come from the fact that nice people tend to be more complacent where they are and how much they’re making. Nicer people are often less likely to ask for more when they feel underpaid. Instead, they’ll just complain about it to their friends or keep it to themselves or even make everything better by convincing themselves that everything is ok.

Sometimes being nice can be a bad thing if you’re in business, but being nice is one of the only ways to actually get your foot in the door at any place where you may not have any connections to.

Nice guys may finish last, but they often end up with the jobs.

According to Trim Tabs Investment Research firm, the United States shed another 284,000 jobs for the month of October.

The results came out today from the research firm. While it is less than the 358,000 jobs that were lost in September, it still makes the total number of jobs lost 5.9 million in the last 12 months. Not only are the jobs being lost, but people are also having a hard time making the amount of money they once were.

The research firm made another note in its research that salaries are still falling. The level of salaries from September 2008 to September 2009 dropped 5.3% and from October 2008 to October 2009 4.6%.

The firm obtains its information from analysis of daily income tax deposits to the Treasury from the amount of salaried United States employees.

The unemployment figures for the month of October should be coming out in the next week or so. The official report will tell us just how bad we did for the month. I don’t think that October will be as bad as September was, however, there is an issue regarding how many jobs were created versus jobs lost. Also, like I always say when I write a post about unemployment, the only people who are counted in unemployment figures are those who are actively seeking work.

There are a lot of people out there who have given up on the job hunt for right now. I would like to see a report on those people, honestly. I believe that a report like that would give people a real idea as to how many people do not have a job right now. It should be broken up into categories such as “stopped looking” or “not interested” just so everyone can tell the categories apart. If everyone was lopped into a “don’t have a job and not looking” category, that would include everyone from exasperated ex-business executives to new moms (or dads) who want to stay at home and take care of the baby.

Graduates of the 2009 collegiate year are going out into the unknown in the worst labor market since their parents graduated. Many graduates will get into careers that have nothing to do with their degree, if they get a job at all. With a national average 9% unemployment rate, it is obvious that throwing more job seekers into the market does not provide the best statistics for employment acquisition. Even worse, they will make lower wages for at least the next decade, as opposed to those who graduated in better times, such as 2006 and 2007, before the economy partially disintegrated.

For most 2009 college graduates, luck will be the key. According to Lisa Kahn, a Yale School of Management economist, the damage that can be done to a new career by a recession can last for up to 15 years. She used the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a government data base, to assess the effects of a recession on an individual’s career by tracking wages of white men who graduated before, during and after the deep 1980’s recession.

Kahn found that for each percentage-point increase in the unemployment rate, those who graduated and joined the workforce during the recession earned 7% to 8% less in their fields than comparable workers who graduated in better times. The effect persisted over many years, with recession-era grads earning 4% to 5% less by their 12th year out of college, and 2% less by their 18th year out. Basically, someone who graduated in December 1982 when the unemployment rate was at almost 11% made, on average, 23% less his first year out of college and 6.6% less 18 years out than one who graduated in May 1981 when the unemployment rate was under 8%. For a typical worker, that would mean earning $100,000 less over the 18-year period.

According to economists and experts, one reason behind declining wage potential is that the caliber of jobs available in a recession, and their accompanying wages, tend to suffer. High-end firms hire fewer people and drive down salaries because jobs are in high demand and people are likely to accept a job for less and less money. In turn, it also means that many graduates end up with lower-wage, lower-skill jobs at lower quality, less prestigious firms or in firms outside their field of interest. Once the economy picks up and they try for better jobs, these workers have to learn skills they should have been developing immediately out of college. In the meantime, colleagues who graduated in a better economy have already developed these skills and progressed much further, making them more likely to receive a better position.

This year, employers will hire 22% fewer college graduates than last year, according to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, an organization of career counselors. At the same time, colleges are expected to see the highest number of graduates in a decade. The average starting salary for graduates who do get jobs, meanwhile, dropped to $48,515 this spring, down 2.2% from the same time last year. Not to worry though. College education was not for ‘nothing’. Collegiate level employees still make more than those with high school diplomas.

Americans’ incomes slipped further in February, dropping by 0.2 percent, the fourth drop in the past five months, as wages and salaries continued to be battered by the massive layoffs that have occurred as the recession, already the longest in a quarter century, has deepened.”

It just doesn’t seem like these two small paragraphs of information mesh well…at all. This is a “wait…what??” kind of moment. While people are earning less they are spending more? Perhaps it is because of things being more expensive…maybe it’s because they just want to see if money really can buy happiness. However, over the past few years while almost no one has saved any and a lot of people have put all their expenses on credit cards, spending is probably not the way to go.

Personally, I’m trying to cut back, I cook more and use coupons when it comes time to go to the grocery store. I actually spend a lot of time on the internet trying to find coupons and deals for things I have to buy anyway.

The good news (if you can look at it that way) is that Nissan will not be cutting all the jobs at once. Job cuts are expected to happen over time between now and March 2010.

Directors on the board for Nissan’s fiscal year ending in March will not be getting any bonuses. They will also be taking a 10 percent pay cut. Manager’s salaries will also be reduced by 5%.

There are also new lobbying rules. This is from the AP:

Obama’s new lobbying rules will not only ban aides from trying to influence the administration when they leave his staff. Those already hired will be banned from working on matters they have previously lobbied on, or to approach agencies that they once targeted.

The rules also ban lobbyists from giving gifts of any size to any member of his administration. It wasn’t immediately clear whether the ban would include the traditional “previous relationships” clause, allowing gifts from friends or associates with which an employee comes in with strong ties.

Source

In some cases, waiters and waitresses are making half of what they normally made.

I have also been to a restaurant recently where 18% gratuity was added on for a party of 4 or more. My “party of 4″ found it to be a bit ridiculous, but maybe the wait staff were tired of being stiffed. At the same time, however, they shouldn’t expect a great tip if they are a lousy waiter. The place that I’m talking about, one member of our “group” had to get up and get the waiter 3 times to get refills. We all had spicy food, refills would have been nice. By the way, there was only one other table in the whole restaurant. He wouldn’t have gotten a good tip from us even if we weren’t in a recession.

Recently, I went searching for open positions related to my field of study (marketing and communications) for when I graduate in May. Even when searching through the countless positions on websites like Monster.com, most positions for my major requires years of prior experience. I also visited a college career fair, and most of the companies were not looking for business graduates, but were more interested in pharmacists. Unfortunately, four or five years of sitting through endless lectures and classes devoted to the very position they are seeking does not count toward any experience.

The odds are not in their favor either. In the second quarter of 2008 the Labor Department gave the unemployment rate for those in the 20 ? 24 year old group (the age range is the most likely for new graduates). Unemployment had risen from 7.7% last year to 9.8% this year.

Most colleges require students to intern and/or take career counseling to give them an idea of what to expect after graduation, but they still do not guarantee a job after graduation.

So you are a new graduate and cannot seem to stand out of the crowd? Here are a couple of tips to make you and your resume more noticeable to potential employers.

- Network. Networking helps you stand out to an employer. If you are currently a student, become involved in plenty of events and groups related to your major.
- An impressive resume. Making your resume stand out is not as hard as it may seem. Little things such as adding a picture of you or using positive phrases can add luster to an otherwise vanilla resume. An example of a use of positive language is instead of saying you have no experience in a certain area, saying that you are willing and open to learning is obviously more constructive. Employers are always more open to someone who is willing to conform to their job descriptions, rather than a position having to conform to an applicant.

Student loans are creeping up and you still have not gotten the position to build your career on? Some people have begun to take a more unconventional attitude on job hunting: Create their own career by starting their own business. Once thought to be something only highly experienced professionals do, new graduates are starting businesses related to their fields of study.

If you have the ambition to start your own business, either a new graduate or someone who just has some new or great ideas, here are a few pointers that may help you start:

- Since you are probably bogged down with debt (thanks to student loans), try to limit your start up costs. Internet companies generally have very low startup costs, as long as you have an idea as to what you?re doing. Starting a business with a friend can also limit your costs and you will have more than one person working toward a goal.
- Remember those old textbooks that you could not or did not sell? Some of them have some great ideas in them. I have kept marketing books just because I thought in the future they could come in handy.
- Have a business plan. If you have a business plan, even a simple one, you always have a reference point. Eventually we all hit road blocks, like writing essays and having an outline, a business plan can keep you in order.
- Finally, do not give up and work hard to achieve your goals. Getting through college was not easy (or cheap), so do not be discouraged if your business does not take off immediately. Successful businesses take patience, time and a LOT of hard work.

It is not hard to become discouraged by the declining job market. Plenty of people I know are working in fast food restaurants while waiting to land ?the job.? When the economy is good, graduates may get multiple offers with competing salaries, but now these offers are not landing in people?s laps like they once were. An applicant must do more to be noticed in today?s job market. So good luck graduates, I will be seeing you in May.