We're Not Out of the Woods - By a Long Shot!

Though there has been some positive news over the past few weeks mixed in with our daily doses of doom and gloom, I wouldn't get complacent.

Last month's new jobless claims report was somehow considered positive. Roughly a half million newly unemployed and that was somehow "good news". That's just a strong signal of precisely how bad things have realistically become. We cheer over a half million new unemployed.

Why was this positive news? Well, I wouldn't really call it positive news. In fact it is horrible news. However, the jobless claims were a little lower than previous months. To some, that indicates we may have bottomed which in a recession would be a good thing.

Another dose of "good news" was the housing market. Sales were up. Come on!!! Of course sales were up. The interest rate is extremely low; there are very good first time home buyer incentives; and the inventory is way up leading to some otherwise very good discount deals. Regular people and investors of swallowing up some very good and lucrative foreclosure and short sell real estate deals. Again, some call this good news. I call it a crock to be quite frank!

Again, I wouldn't get complacent with all this "positive" painted news. We may have a month or two this Summer of slightly good news, however, I think we are in for another rough upcoming quarter.

In fact, a good friend of mine who has worked at an insurance giant for the past 17 years informed me this past weekend that there is going to be a round of layoffs and he heard his name was on the list. Ask someone like him if we are on our way out of this recession...!

I cannot stress enough how important it is to be prepared for anything. I asked this friend of, last Friday when he told me the news, "So when did you get the news?" His answer, "last Monday". My next question, "Do you have an updated resume?" His reply, "not yet".

Look, this is no time to be what I would blatantly call LAZY. Throughout my blog postings, I stress being prepared. I am not asking you to take a month out of your busy time and do this preparation. Take some small amounts of time here and there and just get it done. It is a must.

And.... then go to http://www.myjobcast.com and create a free account. How can you get it free? Go to http://www.jtlservices.com and right on the home page is a free coupon code for a free account.

Trust me, we are not out of the woods just yet. Not by a long shot.