By Lisa Johnson Mandell

The unemployment rate fell from 10 percent to 9.7 percent, the manufacturing industry added 11,000 jobs in January -- which is the first monthly increase since November 2007 -- and the number of temporary workers grew by 52,000. Still, the stock market plunged and analysts are predicting it's a long, slow, rocky road to recovery. Why the frowny faces?

Well, for one thing, revised numbers show that the recession is worse than we thought. Job losses since the start of the recession in December 2007 totaled 8.4 million, substantially more than the 8 million previously reported. In addition, the Bureau of Labor Statistics had estimated that the economy lost 85,000 jobs in December; but the revised numbers show that 150,000 jobs disappeared.

by Geoff Roth

Can serving the world lead to a great job? Yes it can!

In my last post, I talked about how volunteer work with federal organizations such as the Peace Corps or VISTA can help you gain job skills and contacts that will land you a job afterward, even in this tough economy.

Todd Valdini provides a good example of how to make it all work.

By Missy Jess

If someone had told me I'd be a computer programmer after college graduation I would've laughed in his face. I was an English major! I edited student newspapers, wrote poetry and studied Shakespeare. I didn't know a JCL statement from a Legacy system, nor did I care!

I never expected to work in IT, but that's where I ended up. Let me tell you how it happened.

By Marge Holdorf

I enrolled in college at the age of 36, with the intention of improving my writing skills. It didn't take me long to realize I needed to find a way to support myself, while I was writing.

Thinking I was going to have to forgo my writing dream for a more realistic approach to earning a living, I declared a major in social work. When I learned I would have to earn a master's to get a decent-paying job in that career, I decided to change my major.

By Gwen Parkes

Mayor Bloomberg got real with New Yorkers who are suffering from the high unemployment rates. His answer to the budget cuts and job cuts that have hit his city is called Job Hunt, a reality television show that answers the key question: "You lost your job, now what?" which is also the title of the premiere episode.

Job Hunt premiered on Tuesday, February 2nd, on the New York City Life Channel. This 10-part series will be hosted by Tory Johnson, founder and CEO of Women For Hire, and will, according to the NYC government website, teach people: "how to navigate today's job market, get the skills you need, and find the right job for you. Watch real New Yorkers as they experience the triumphs and difficulties of searching for work, changing their careers, and finding the job that is right for them."