CLARKONOMICS: The headlines about unemployment have created a lot of anxiety across the land. Initial claims climbed to a 4-year high and workers are remaining jobless for longer; about 3 million have lost a job and not been able to rebound with employment. Meanwhile, Challenger, Gray & Christmas -- a leading outplacement consulting firm -- found a 19-month high in the number of planned job cuts.

Should you be worried? You know from your own industry and place of work whether or not you'll be OK. Be realistic when you're facing that onslaught of headlines. Maybe you don't need to fret as much as you have been.

If you are in danger of being pink-slipped, that's fair warning to get your financial house in order. Start pulling back on the spending and reducing your debt. That way you'll be more prepared in the event of a layoff.

This time is not even close to the worst we've seen, yet it's not the best either. Things could decline even further, but Clark doesn't see overwhelming doom and gloom ahead. It's steady as you go for most of us.

CLARKONOMICS: Are Americans going backwards economically? That's how some of the financial press is spinning the latest findings of the Pew Research Center. Only 4 in 10 people feel they're moving forward -- and that's a record low. Of those who define themselves as middle class, 80% say they can't maintain their standard of living. This, of course, translates to lack of optimism about the country.

When you look at the last 5 years, there has been some distortion in the economy and some trends have squeezed people. But look further back to the '70s. The average American family income is 40% higher than it was one generation ago. That's practically unprecedented for an already developed economy. Meanwhile, the average family is 35% wealthier in terms of net worth than a generation ago.

Yet the Pew findings ring true. The middle class is hollowing out. In town after town, the non-skilled union jobs have steadily been evaporating as our manufacturing base declines. The kinds of jobs that unskilled laborers now have to get as a replacement typically pay much less and don't have a pension or benefits. So what's happening is that our country is dividing into 3 distinct groups: One third of Americans are making really decent money; one-third have low incomes and are not doing so well; and one third are in the middle. Clark's never seen this kind of split in his lifetime; the classic bell curve of yesteryear is gone and that's why there's unease.

Even if you're mid-career, you've got to reinvent yourself. This is the real challenge as we face global competition. The free trade genie won't go back in the bottle. Clark wants to hear political discourse about how to start re-training mid-career people. Community colleges and state-sponsored technical schools are both great venues to gain new skills or get re-training.

CLARKONOMICS: There's bad news on the job front with the unemployment rate rising from 4.8% to 5.1% and employers reporting 3 consecutive months of job losses. We may be at the beginning of more trouble. But the irony is that we're starting from a good spot. Economists never even thought we could get an unemployment rate as low as 5% without overheating the economy.

Instead of focusing on the bad news, Clark wants to let you know about companies that are planning on doing some big-time hiring. Forbes recently reported that Accenture -- an international consulting, technology and outsourcing company -- plans to hire 60,000 new employees in 2008. And that's just one example. This is not a doom and gloom economy where there are no jobs to be had.

Kiplinger.com recently ran a feature about recession-proof careers. These fields include healthcare, education, security, environmental science and government. In one example, The Washington Post reports that a Maryland county is pursing paramedics like they're star athletes. The starting salary is $57K.

Keep in mind that 70% of the jobs that will exist in 20 years don't exist today. Think back to 1988. At that point there was no Internet and no e-mail. You've got be willing to continually reinvent yourself. The typical American will have 5 careers and at least 15 jobs. Be ready to go back to school if necessary. As our economy changes, you've got to move with it.

CLARKONOMICS: Everyday during these Clarkonomics segments, Clark brings you all kinds of woeful news about the economy. So it's nice to be able to finally bring some good news. Each year, a temporary employment firm called Manpower Inc. compiles a very comprehensive hiring survey. Their spring report really wowed people because it found that more than 1 in 4 employers expect to increase total net employment during the next 3 months. Less than 10% expect to reduce head count. The remaining companies surveyed foresee things remaining level. That's fantastic news if you're job-hunting.

Meanwhile, Clark recently read that the number of weeks it takes to find a new job once you're unemployed has increased because of the slowing economy. So it may take longer to turn the ship around, but that ship will sail. If you're worrying about a future layoff, get your money together for leaner times. Clark believes that you really lose confidence during prolonged unemployed. So you've got to have an action plan. First, get out and volunteer in some activity you believe in; you could end up with a job through that alone. Second, take a job doing anything, at least part-time, so you can pay your bills. Even if you're embarrassed by the gig, at least you're putting money back in your wallet.

What are the bathrooms like where you work? They used to be disgusting at the studio where Clark records. It got to the point that he had to speak to the head of facilities management. Now they're much cleaner.

Years ago, Clark told the story of a Wall St. stock analyst who liked to visit the companies he invests his clients' money in. He got in the habit of routinely using the bathroom at the companies. If the toilet was filthy, he would cancel his appointment and pull all financial support. This stock analyst knew that if the bathroom was filthy, the employees were not valued and that speak volumes about the company's chances of long-term success. The same holds true with reserved parking spots for upper management at a company. Priority parking tells the little guy that he doesn't count, and that doesn't make employees feel valued.

Now The Chicago Tribune reports that employees get fired up when basics aren't being met at the workplace. 1 in 3 will actually quit over things like lousy bathrooms. After all, clean bathrooms are a basic in a developed country like ours.

People tend to stop looking for work between Thanksgiving and the first week of January. They believe that no one is hiring during the holidays. Not true, according to Clark. December is one of the best months for job hunting. So how can you maximize this supposed downtime? First, go to holiday parties and network. Tag along as the guest of a friend who works at a specific company of interest to you. People hire people they know or they know of, Clark says. Networking is the key. The payoff is miniscule when you apply for jobs online. Second, during December the "gatekeepers" are away and the real decision makers are more likely to answer their own phones. Direct contact with key hiring managers is the way to go. And finally, this is the best month for job hunting because there's less competition out there right now!

Clark used to run a program called Career Action that taught job-interviewing skills, among other things. He was stunned at how rare it was for an applicant to research the company they were interviewing at. Now it's so easy to do research with the Internet. Be informed when you go to an interview. Don't be a know-it-all, but learn to ask targeted questions.

Does your company still have a holiday party? If so, Clark has a word of advice: Don't get trashed during the festivities! At Clark's studio, there's a holiday party coming up this weekend. They won't be serving any hard liquor, but beer and wine will probably be flowing. More than a third of all companies no longer serve any alcohol at all. There's a very important reason why Clark is urging you to not drink at your holiday party. MSNBC reports that 1 in every 7 people have been fired because they got trashed and did regrettable things in front of co-workers and superiors. So drink the egg nog that's not spiked. Or fool your co-workers by drinking ginger ale and telling them it's Scotch with seltzer! Clark is not being a party pooper, he's just trying to help you with your career. Meanwhile, The Boston Globe reports that some companies are moving their holiday parties to January. This helps combat winter blues among employees and also saves money because facility and entertainment expenses are cheaper after the holidays.

If you own a business or manage a company, do you allow your employees the freedom to make you money or do you put them in a straitjacket? One of the biggest straitjackets is working from the office. The Wall Street Journal revealed the results of a study that monitored 10,000 workers. Some of the workers were telecommuters and others were regular office workers. Job satisfaction and loyalty to the employer were higher among those who telecommuted. A lot of employers are still suspicious of letting people work from home. There's the idea that people have to be monitored to be efficient. Human nature dictates that some people will be very motivated workers and others will not be very motivated at all. But you can't create productivity by staring at someone across the office. Clark himself admits that his productivity at the studio drops to almost zero. That's why he does all his show research at home. He's the kind of person who finds the office is a major distraction because he loves to chat with co-workers!

Clark believes that parking politics at the office builds walls between management and employees. CareerJournal.com recently ran an article that dissected the hierarchies used to determine who gets what reserved space. Companies that give preferred parking spaces to executives are sending the message to employees that they're chumps, according to Clark. He makes no bones about saying that management at the WSB studio is still in the Neanderthal era with its reserved parking policy. But things could be worse. Clark recently was at a multi-tenant office building toward the end of the business day and there were hundreds of empty spaces available. Unfortunately he couldn't use one because they were all reserved until 5 p.m., 6 p.m., 7 p.m. or 24 hours/day depending on how important the person was. The issue of parking at work is one that really gets people fired up. If it seems trite and trivial, realize that it gives you insight into whether or not management values its employees.

Many people want to do part-time work at home, especially when they have a newborn. But a lot of work-at-home offers are scams. One stat has it that for every legitimate offer you may see, you're going to come across 42 scams. So Clark wants you to be careful if you're looking to work at home. Be sure to avoid the ads in the back of women's magazines about envelope stuffing, doing medical office paperwork and the like. There is, however, one area that's proven legitimate over time: becoming a call center worker from your home. Employers like this option because they don't have to rent office space for you, so it costs them less than setting up a call center. Typical costs for a call-center employee could be $31, while it only costs a company $21 to set you up to do the same work at home. Bear in mind that these figures are not what you'll be earning; they represent what the company pays out of pocket to set you up as an independent contractor. Fortune magazine reports that there are now about 100,000 people involved in such work-at-home businesses. That number is expected to triple in the next 30 months. Be sure to check out Clark's list of legitimate vendors in this field. Not many people know it, but JetBlue was one of the pioneers in the home-based call center industry. Now companies like 1-800-Flowers and J. Crew are also getting in on the action.

On his recent book tour Clark met a gentleman who was about to become a refugee from corporate America due to company downsizing. He decided that buying a franchise was the right way to go from here. Clark asked him what he knew about the industry, and he said "nothing." He said the franchise company promised incredible profits, but you can't always trust their word. Clark asked what his previous field was...he answered computers. Clark asked him why he wanted to go into a field that had nothing to do with his business experience...was he burned out? He said no, he just thought he could make a lot of money with this franchise. But Clark wants you to think long and hard before you do buy one, especially if you're a corporate refugee. Clark's advice: work in the industry first and see if you really like it. Learn it from the inside out, even if it means emptying trash cans at first. Franchises are much harder to sell than buy, so you want to be 100% sure you want to stick with it. Corporate refugees, you have to be especially careful, since what you used to do was very specific, typically. You'll have to be a multi-disciplinary person--a utility player-- if you're going to go from an office into running your own business. If you're not, you're probably not the kind of person who should own a franchise. So what do you do if you have experience but can't find a regular job?. Try consulting. Use the knowledge you gained in the corporate world and put that to use helping others who can benefit from your advice and experience. If you've gained the currency of knowledge, education and training and just kick it to the curb, you'll be throwing the baby out with the bath water!

Forbes magazine has put together a list of the best places to find a job right now. So, after scouring 100 cities in the country, Forbes says the No. 1 place to find a job is Raleigh, N.C. The city has a decent climate, friendly people and a fantastic job prospects. No. 2 is Phoenix, followed by Jacksonville, Fla.; Orlando, Washington D.C.; Salt Lake City; Honolulu; Las Vegas; Fort Lauderdale and rounding out the Top 10 is Norfolk/Newport News, Va. Now, living in some of these places will cost you a pretty penny, especially Hawaii. Housing, gas and food are all very expensive there. But it may be worth it to you if you have a great job. So, what are the worst places for jobs these days? The worst city is Detroit. New Orleans is just above it in 99th place, preceded by Youngstown, Ohio; Troy, Michigan; and Toledo, Ohio at 95th place. If you’re in a dead-end job or in an area with few job opportunities, check out some of the towns that have more to offer. Don’t just sit there and do nothing.

Clark gets a lot of questions from people who are eager to embark on a new career. For those in their 20s and 30s, there is a lot of opportunity coming your way. A huge wave of people will retire from the federal government in the next few years, so a lot of jobs are going to open up. The Feds are practically begging for workers right now. You have to be able to handle government bureaucracy. But if you are okay with a lot of structure and hierarchy, the pay is great and the job security is terrific. The site to find out more is usajobs.gov. Also, if you took out student loans during college, the Feds may pay back your loans. And, that in no way affects your pay. So, check it out if you think you’d like to work for the federal government.

Are you happy where you work? Unfortunately, many people aren’t, but they go back to the same grind every day because they can't take that step. Recent studies show that half of working Americans want out of their jobs. One in five are actively looking and another one in five intend to look for a new job in the next six months. If you are one of those people, now is the time to start looking. The job market is pretty good right now, so this may be your chance. As for employers who might take offense to this, you may want to take a look in the mirror. Just because you give someone a paycheck doesn’t mean they are happy. To most workers, being rewarded and appreciated is what matters. Tell individual employees what they’ve done to make you proud. And create conditions that make people happy. Also, workers should remember that it’s a two-way deal. If you’re working in a good job with great benefits, you have to deliver.

For the first time in years, summer jobs are easier to find this year. That’s great news for young people in high school or college. So, why is it happening? Well, first of all, the job market is stronger. Secondly, although it doesn’t feel like it, the economy is stronger. And these jobs are paying higher than minimum wage. In addition, companies are offering more paid internships for young people in various years of school. Now the job may not be that interesting. But that doesn’t matter; getting your foot in the door is key. You can look around for jobs you want later. Statistics show that about 40 percent of people who worked as an intern at a company go to work for that company after graduation.

Clark was 22 when he got his master’s degree in business management. At the time, he had done a number of studies on companies and programs. What he learned was that the best companies treat their workers like gold. And he believes it even more today. Even more convincing is the news recently reported in the Financial Times of London. The Times reported that stocks of the 100 best companies to work for in America also have stocks that earn three times the rate of general companies on the various exchanges. That’s because companies that romance their workers have workers that romance the customer. It simply improves how companies run and earns more money for the company. The data is very clear on this. So the bottom line is that you want to invest in a company that treats its workers well.

If you don’t have a college degree, but you’re looking for a job that pays well, what should you do? Well, a reporter from Knight Ridder did some research on this topic and put together a list. The top paying job without a bachelor’s degree is a Registered Nurse or RN. Like many people, Clark thought you had to have a bachelor’s degree to become an RN. But you don’t. You just need an associate’s degree, and the opportunities are plentiful. Second is a mechanic for trucks and cars. Experienced mechanics can make up to six figures, although the average is about $30,000. It’s also another job with lots of openings. Computer support specialist positions also pay well, at between $30,000 and $50,000 a year. Electricians and plumbers are in high demand, as well. Truck drivers make about $40,000 a year and more people are needed because turnover is so high.

If you are a mother with a young child, you’re probably doing most of the caretaking at home. If you have a career as well, and you go back to work, the workload triples. Some workers think working mothers are not as productive or dedicated as other workers. But, according to the Chicago Tribune, working moms are actually better managers than men or women who don’t have kids. The reason is that women with kids interact better, handle crisis better and are apparently more appealing to those they supervise. About 70 percent of people said they would prefer to work for a mother. So, there is obviously a strong belief that women who are mothers have the best skill set. The No. 1 reason in the story is that working mothers aren’t out late, partying, so they don’t come in hung over and unfit to work. Christa, Clark’s executive producer and a working mother, thought that was comical. She said it was probably because of reason No 2, that women who are mothers are better time managers because they have to be. Whatever the reason, way to go Moms!

What’s rhetoric and what is real in today’s economy? Clark has believed for a long time that the bigger companies get the smaller the brains of those running the company get. A couple signs are when there are reserved parking spaces or personal bathrooms for management level employees. Those are clear signs that a company doesn’t care about its workers or customers. USA Today further drove home this point with a story today about how small business have kept our country going since the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. And, now, half of all people working today own their own businesses, and nothing beats the efficiency of a small business.

Charter schools are independent public schools, and for the most part they perform very well. The schools use non-traditional teaching methods. And the thinking is that kids who come from mediocre schools could potentially thrive in charter schools. But apparently the U.S. Department of Education kept statistics hidden about how these schools are doing, according to the New York Times. The statistics showed that kids in public schools tested better on average than those in charter schools. The testing sample was fourth graders from students in the two different schools. That’s not to say that all charter schools don’t work. Clark talked recently about a charter school in Washington D.C., where 100 percent of the students were going to college. Clark likes charter schools because they’re innovative and because schools will simply go away they don’t do well. We need continual monitoring of all schools to find what works and what doesn’t work. We spend so much money on school taxes every year that we owe to ourselves and our kids to have an honest discussion about it.

Colorado has become the first state in the nation to experiment with four-day school weeks. Students attend school for more hours each day and then have one extra weekend day in return. Studies have shown that these students actually learn more in those additional hours. Another plus is the tremendous savings the school makes from the reduced transportation costs. However, the Colorado experiment has thrown some parents into a tizzy, causing them to start their own charter school. The school is a huge success, too. Clark thinks this is what should happen. Education is not a one-size-fits-all deal. There is no automatic warehouse style of education, and school district superintendents shouldn’t dictate what learning style is best for all kids. We need to experiment with all kinds of options. In Washington D.C., there is a new voucher system that gives children $7,500 to go and shop for a school. In the past, independent charter schools have failed. But now they are in competition with other schools. If the schools aren’t doing a good job, parents can move their kids to a different school. We pay tons in school taxes and Clark wants your money to be well spent.

A massive amount of your tax dollars goes toward education whether you have kids in school or not. That would be fine if schools were performing as they should. But we run our schools like monopolies, and the government decides who goes to what school. It’s arbitrary, thoughtless and wrong. What we need is choice. When you have choice, you create opportunity. One school in Washington D.C., is getting it right. Seed School is a public boarding school that brings in kids who read at a fourth grade level in the seventh grade. The kids are chosen by a lottery and they stay at the school during the week and go home on the weekends. The school is in an area of the country where about five percent of school children go to college. But of the Seed School kids, 100 percent are going to college. That’s amazing. The innovative schooling has given them a chance, and it’s working.

Clark is happy to report that U.C. Berkeley and the Department of Education have reached an agreement regarding the slip up on the part of FedEx delivering Berkeley’s Fulbright Scholarship applications. Clark was about to give out the phone number of the DOE representative who was ready to refuse the applications that were delivered late because of FedEx. But apparently there was a Fulbright board that had the final say. And they agreed to let the applications through. Now, 30 of the brightest students in the country have a chance to receive what was deserved all along.

Clark tends to make people mad when he talks about public education because of his strong beliefs. The No. 1 tax expense we have is education. And some people don’t realize it but everyone pays these taxes. Even if you don’t have kids in school, you’re paying for the schools. So, it’s been a long frustration that kids are not doing anywhere near the level they should be with all of the money we’re paying. He has long advocated vouchers, charter schools and experiments in education. Even in Washington, D.C., where there has been longstanding opposition and some of the worst public schools, there has been a huge change in attitude toward the education system. They want change because nothing is working. Another area that is facing change is Chattanooga, Tenn. The town has started a new method of rewarding teachers whereby pay raises are based on performance. Bonuses are as high as 30 percent for high performing teachers, and private donors have given money to support this initiative. The Washington Post analyzed the test data from the kids, and – after just one year – there was an exceptional rise in academic performance. We need to educate our kids better. If we don’t do a good job of this, we don’t create an educated work force and our jobs will disappear. There is no one school that is right for every child. That’s why we need innovation and competition.

You may have heard about the recent debacle at U.C. Berkeley involving the Fulbright Scholarship. Berkeley is one of the most prestigious schools in the U.S. and one of the hardest to get into. It also has one of the nation’s most competitive doctoral programs, and sometimes students in this program are awarded the Fulbright Scholarship. The Fulbright is given to people who will make a big difference to our country, and people apply to the program every year. To apply, you send the application to the U.S. Department of Education. So, Berkeley recently sent 30 applications to the DOE via FedEx. But FedEx didn’t pick up the package on time and so it failed to get there before the deadline. The school realized that the package was never picked up and called the DOE to see what to do. The U.S. Department of Labor also got involved and determined that the 30 students would not be able to participate. The university was out of luck. So, the school is outraged. They are not upset with FedEx; they are angry at the DOE. And Clark thinks they are right. To say there is no room for human error is wrong. When this program was started, the idea was that the scholarship would nurture the brightest minds in the country. So, to keep them participating on a technicality is a travesty. Clark is going to find out the phone number of the woman who decided the Berkeley students could not participate and ask her to come on the air. If she declines, Clark will share that number with you and he hopes you voice your opinion to her. So, be looking for it soon!