Not a recession , but a HE-cession......

I came acorss this report on our current economic situation and found some suprising news for men.....

Although the recession is hitting Canadians hard across the country, a new CCPA report reveals that men are taking the biggest hit when it comes to loss of employment.

Canada's "He-cession": Men bearing the brunt of rising unemployment, by Income Inequality Project director Trish Hennessy and Senior Economist Armine Yalnizyan, shows that 71% of those who have lost their jobs in the recession so far are men.

The report notes that this recession differs from those of the 1980s and 90s, which ushered in the 'freedom 55' era of golden handshakes for older workers. By contrast there were actually 78,000 more workers aged 55 and over in June than there were at the beginning of the recession, a 3% increase since October.

"Most of the workers deprived of their jobs in this recession (63%) are between the ages of 25 and 55," Yalnizyan says. "Workers under 25, who make up 15% of the labour market, account for more than one third (37%) of job reductions since October."

The report also notes that Ontario accounts for two-thirds (66.4%) of all jobs eliminated to date in this recession, driving the province's unemployment rate to its highest in 15 years.

"The recession is affecting Canadians from all walks of life and all parts of the country, but it could easily be portrayed as an Ontario-cession, an age-cession, and, above all, a he-cession," says Yalnizyan.

To read more of this report, visit policyalternatives.ca

Ready for the Interview?

When an "economic downturn" becomes a reality in the minds of candidates and clients in the hospitality industry, one thing becomes a primary issue: interview behaviour.

Apparently candidates that have good management backgrounds, are educated, and present themselves well can disconnect somewhere along the line in their interviews with clients. Not good when clients are in a position to be selective about who they hire.

In any event, candidates looking for work need to be mindful of their interview skills. When you prepare for a marathon, you must wear the proper gear, know your strengths and the track, study the prize, stretch your muscles, etc. Likewise, for an interview, be aware of your appearance in dress and personal grooming, your demeanor, resume presentation and references, knowledge of the prospective employer. As well, it's going to work in your favour to acknolwedge the current market situation and how it affects your current and future aspirations with the company you join.

If you take the time to prepare for an interview as you would for a marathon, for example, you'll avoid some of the tragic pitfalls I've encountered as a recruiter. For instance, one candidate showed up for a restaurant management position wearing a baseball cap, another man didn't shave for an interivew for an Area Manager position, while another rambled on with chatter due to nerves. They were all politely declined by my clients.

Perhaps in a booming economy, with a small pool of qualified candidates, these mishaps by candidates would be overlooked, but not now. Candidates now need to ensure their interview behaviour is top notch and they're fully prepared because you really can't afford even one disconnect along the way. As a recruiter, I can sometimes help candidates in putting their best foot forward, ie: a free interview prep program online to stretch those interview muscles. Candidates need to use all their resources to be a successful candidate in difficult economic times. Good luck!