The LookoutGoing back to work? Tell Yahoo! about it …
Last summer, with the economy still on life support, we asked Yahoo! readers to share their stories of being out of work. In response, we got thousands of fascinating, affecting real-life tales, which reflected the grim mood of a country in the midst of a desperate jobs crisis. In the same vein, we followed that up by asking how jobless readers were coping with the holidays.
These days, things are looking up a bit. Yes, we're a long way from recovering all the jobs lost during the Great Recession, but after the economy added a healthy 243,000 jobs last month, the overall unemployment rate is lower than it's been in nearly three years. And other key stats -- first-time unemployment claims, job openings. etc. -- are also moving in the right direction.
That means that across the country, Americans are going back to work. We want to hear from Yahoo! readers who are part of that cohort. If you've been hired since the start of the year, after being jobless for a lengthy period before that, send your good news story to economycrowdsourcing@yahoo.com. We want to know things like:
• How long were you out of work?
• What's the new job?
• How did you get it?
• Is it in the field you worked in previously?
• Does it pay as much as your previous job? How does it compare in other ways?
• Have you noticed more job openings lately?
• What does having a job again mean for you and your family?
• Anything else you feel like mentioning!
ONE FINAL NOTE: If you write to us, please include your hometown and state, and your phone number. And please be aware that unless you ask us not to, we may publish all or part of your response, using your full name. If you'd rather we use only your first name and the first letter of your last name, please let us know.
Other popular Yahoo! News stories:
• Prop. 8 overturned in California, court says state can't ban gay marriage
• Santorum takes morning victory lap on cable, with eyes on Michigan
