Career Advice & News Center

The economy has caused many corporations to enact a hiring freeze that resulted in a standstill with the unemployment market. Because individuals are still trying to be frugal with their money, overall sales are down, resulting in companies making cutbacks in order to balance their budgets. The consumer greatly affects the overall job market in a variety of fields, as many industries rely on sales to keep their businesses booming. Consumers can affect businesses firsthand, as well as advertising, the media and manufacturers.

Consumers and employers are in a headlock as they try to fix the economy. Employers rely heavily on consumers, as their purchasing gives companies a bigger budget for hiring, according to the Associated Press. Consumers are still wary about spending, as they feel that the market isn't on the rebound yet.

"Nobody is giving us the confidence to go out and spend our savings," consumer Nicole Rusen told the news provider. "We may need it to pay our house payment. Or we may need it to pay medical bills."

Economic analysts are predicting that the economy will not gain heavy footing until 2011. Despite this, if spending were to pick up, so would businesses' incentives to hire more workers.

"There's a little bit of a standoff — a chicken-and-egg problem," Robert Reich, a professor of public policy at University of California, Berkeley, told the AP.

Although industries that rely heavily on consumers may be hurting, there are still a number of career choices that are doing well in terms of employment.

Professions such as nursing, information technology (IT), and accounting are expected to increase dramatically in hiring by 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.