It’s been three years of some rough stuff, but Americans are starting to report that when they’ve changed jobs, it’s been for something better paying or a higher-level position, according to a report from Experian Simmons.

According to the research firm, 6.5% of those who changed jobs in the last year moved into a better spot. No, it’s not much, but it turns out that moving up has never been something experienced by the majority of the population. In January 2008, when the economy was still mostly strong (the official start of the recession came in December 2007, but took months to ripple through the general economy), 9.9% of Americans said they had moved into better jobs in the previous year. The latest figure is also up significantly from April’s 4.6%.

Some further “good” news, that just 2.4% of Americans who switched jobs in the last year moved into lower level or lower paying positions. Bright side.

We’re not jumping up and down about any sort of real recovery yet, and the current unemployment and new-jobs numbers (9.8%; a mere 39,000 new jobs) indicate a seriously bleak backdrop. Which lends a sort of cognitive dissonance to Experian’s claim that slightly more Americans are starting to look hopeful about job opportunities (8.2% compared to 6.6% in July). But let’s take the good news where we can.

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Today’s Total: 1,794

London Underground transportation has planned 800 worker layoffs… 750 workers of Toyota Motor Corp.‘s Britain plants are faced with early retirement as Toyota ends its work-sharing system…the Honolulu Advertiser is letting go 600… 202 employees are let go from IBM in the latest round of layoffs…Hemet Unified School District in California is sending preliminary layoff slips to 130 teachers…the Oceanside Unified School District in north San Diego County plans to cut 117 teaching positions…Las Vegas labor unions have not agreed to concessions, a decision which will result in 100 municipal layoffs… In an effort to cut expenses in the 2010-2011 school year, Seattle Public Schools have given layoff notices to 90 staff members.

Are you one of the screwed? Check out Recessionwire’s Laid Off 101. Read more about layoffs at the sites compiled on our layoff tracker page.

Millennials were born with the internet. They’ve probably never used card catalogs, Walkmans or typewriters. And unlike older workers, they don’t believe in job security.

In a nice counterpoint to a recent Atlantic Monthly story that argued GenY will be permanently handicapped by the recession, Nancy Cook, writing for Newsweek, wonders whether younger people are actually very nicely suited to the New Normal of jobs.

In the New Normal, we see workers having to be more self-reliant, responsible for their own brands, and able to handle more instability. There will be ever more “slash careers.” And Generation Next may be totally cool with that kind of world.

Cook describes a young man named Andrew Benton, who since leaving school has dropped out of a Princeton PhD program, started a software company, and is now a freelance tech worker:

The 26-year-old does not expect to hold a traditional 9-to-5 job unless he starts his own business again, and he is not overly concerned about the recession’s long-term effect on his career.

After all, the New Normal isn’t all about uncertainty. There may be more opportunities to be creative and entrepreneurial. If you want to try a number of different careers rather than fold yourself into middle management, the marketplace won’t hold it against you.

Then again, what happens when 20-somethings become middle-aged? Maybe they will be wishing for the Old Normal.

Most of us have heard so often that it’s important to have a personal brand that we’re sick of it. The overuse of the term is beginning to devalue it. I’m not a box of cereal; I’m a human being, you might say.

That is true. And it is increasingly difficult to find a differentiator as the competition for jobs and consulting assignments is so fierce. Maybe it’s because we’re looking at ourselves as a business. We’re using dull and dry terms to describe ourselves: team player, proven track record, top producer. They don’t exactly leap out and grab someone by the throat.

But a review in the New York Times last week of two young pianists got me thinking that we should be looking at it in a different way. The Times music critic began: “Many young classical musicians feel pressure to stand out.” Well, who doesn’t? It’s not just pianists; everyone in this tough economic climate is looking to stand out. But it was another sentence that really got my attention: “It is not enough to play an instrument – or sing or conduct – brilliantly. You have to search within yourself and define your artistic identity. Your performances should convey what you believe in, what excites you.”

I realized that same advice could be applied to business people or job seekers. It isn’t enough to be brilliant at what you do. What is it that makes you brilliant? Your performances – a presentation for a client, or a job interview – should reinforce your talents and core beliefs.

What’s missing in most personal brand statements is a sense of excitement. Throw away your pencil for a minute and think about what really excites you about what you do (or did). Did you accomplish something that still makes your heart sing? Tell your story to your spouse or a buddy. Bring passion to the telling. Then ask for their response. What words did you use? What about the story got them excited?

That’s your personal brand.

Jeannette Paladino is a personal branding expert and author of the blog Write Speak Sell.

They say successful people make lists. What do you want out of life and how are you going to get it? What are your top qualities? Who are you valuable to and why? Yada yada. What happens when lists aren’t all about doing things right? We look at six lists and find out.

Number One Reason Why I Won’t Get a Job, According to My (__________)
(Mom) Eye Contact

(Brother) Eye Contact

(Girlfriend) Lack of Ambition and Willingness to Fail

(Dad) Eye Contact

(Grandmother) Eye Contact, and you have such bee-you-tiful eyes Andrew you really do, I always told you…

(Self) The Economy

(Potential Employer) Eye Contact

Things I Learned While Unemployed

• What the top play of the week is
• Who wants to be a millionaire
• Who the father is, and what he has to say about it
• What’s coming up this week on Regis and Kelly
• What time the mailman actually comes

Ways to Get Sacked

• Two for one at Home Depot
• Eat all of the peanuts
• Find a gap in the offensive line
• Kidnap Santa
• Flirt with the boss’s daughter

Color Descriptions of My Go-To Interview “Power Tie”

• Capable Crimson
• Steadfast Scarlet
• Big Bonus Burgundy
• Resolute Ruby
• Busy Beaver Blush
• Magnanimous Magenta
• Eyes-on-the-Prize Puce
• Veritable Vermilion
• Red with Coffee Stain

Tom Swift Lays You Off
“We run a tight ship here at Derby and Derby’s Demolition Co. TNT is getting expensive, and we need TNT. We don’t need you,” said Tom dynamically.

“No one hires painters in a recession,” Tom easily said.

“You’re just not as sharp as you used to be,” Tom said, bluntly.

“Some people aren’t meant to work in the ice cream business,” said Tom bitterly.

“I’m sorry to do this to you because you’re valuable. You are valuable. I know you’ll find another place,” said Tom down-sizingly.

“Funerals aren’t cheap, and it doesn’t take a well-paid man to dig a hole,” Tom said gravely.

“Get off your high horse,” Tom said quixotically.

“You’re the best surgeon we have, and you’re also the most inflated salary,” said Tom heartlessly.

“It was either keep you on board or Franklin, and we both know how hard of a worker Franklin is,” Tom said like the jerk he is.

Resume Fonts: Dos and Don’ts
Do: Times New Roman
Don’t: Comic Sans
Do: Forte
Don’t: Lucida Handwriting
Do: Vivaldi
Don’t: Poor Richard
Do: Poor Richard Wide
Don’t: Wingdings 2

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Today’s Total: 7,073

The Kansas school system is in danger of a possible 5,000 job cuts next year if school funding fails to suffice… Shaw’s grocery store chain is closing its Connecticut locations, laying off 967 workers in the process… Yonkers, N.Y., mayor has announced that next year’s budget may result in either 900 employee layoffs or a 35 percent tax increase… 150 Cadbury workers may be facing layoffs as Kraft restructures the confection maker… Comache County Memorial Hospital in Lawton, Okla. has terminated 56 jobs, including the chief operating officer… Online entertainment company, Slide, is ceasing production on two of its games, laying off up to 10 percent of its workforce in the process.

Are you one of the Screwed? Check out Recessionwire’s Laid Off 101. Read more about layoffs at the sites compiled on our layoff tracker page.

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Today’s Total: 1,233

A new budget for Phoenix, Ariz. has resulted in 520 job cuts… If South Carolina state legislature passes a $5.1 billion budget plan, the Department of Juvenile Justice could suffer 295 contract employee layoffs… 200 jobs will be terminated as New Jersey Transit faces an emergency spending freeze… Cummins Inc. is laying off 194 workers from the Columbus Midrange Engine Plant… Lockheed Martin Corp. has laid off 16 employees at its Orlando, Fla. Location… New York City controller John Liu has announced that 8 employees have “separated” from his office.

Are you one of the Screwed? Check out Recessionwire’s Laid Off 101. Read more about layoffs at the sites compiled on our layoff tracker page.

At the risk of stating the obvious, skill, talent, and seniority no longer guarantee job security. And blackmail and corporate espionage aren’t great alternative strategies — it’s generally better to get canned than to get jailed.

But there are ways to you reduce your chances of getting targeted during the next round of layoffs. After all, every workplace has a few key players whose bosses believe the place couldn’t run without them — whether it’s the person who can run a finicky fax machine or the only staffer who maintains a good rapport with a difficult client. These people tend to be the same ones who avoid layoffs time and time again.

You can become one of them — without a lot of hard work but with a good dose of sucking up. Here are five other tips to follow:

Build relationships with important clients. Connecting yourself to an invaluable client and building up a good rapport (or even better, a genuine friendship) is a great way to become indispensable to a company — especially if your bosses fear that the client would walk if you were let go.

Take on the tasks your boss hates most. Whether it’s collecting expense reports from colleagues or just stopping by to ask if anyone wants coffee, taking on the annoying tasks that eat up your boss’ time is a great way to become more valuable—which will hopefully lead him to her to fight harder for you to stay when the corporate axe eventually falls.

Cut down on office chit-chat. Longer-than-average breaks at the water cooler will get you noticed, and not in a good way. When bosses see employees milling around they can get the idea that those people aren’t working hard, which makes them seem more expendable. So stay away from the water cooler, avoid participating in idle office gossip, and if you’re really that thirsty, just bring a water bottle.

Become a top seller. If you work in sales, then layoff season should be your time to shine. With less competition around, it should be easier to climb the ranks and become a top salesperson. It’s much more difficult for a company to lay off the person who brings in the most money than it is to lay off the third or fourth person down the line.

Show up early and stay late. As standard as this advice is, it really is key. Make your boss think you’re the hardest worker in the office—even if you’re really just checking your Facebook and Twitter accounts—and your chances of getting dropped during the next round of layoffs will decrease. This means cutting down on the days you work at home, too, since bosses can sometimes downplay an employee’s importance to the company when they don’t see them in the office as frequently.

It should be noted that while these tips may help keep your job, they probably won’t improve your popularity with fellow coworkers. Then again, that might not matter if they all get laid off anyway, so it’s probably best to protect your job and avoid worrying about what other people think.

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Today’s Total: 2,354

Davie Yards Inc., a Canadian shipbuilder, is planning 1,600 employee layoffs to begin on Monday while it files for creditor protection… Chicago Public Schools will be laying off 500 employees by mid-March… Las Vegas faces 171 city layoffs by July 1 unless labor unions agree to concessions… In another round of layoffs, Sunrise Senior Living Inc. will terminate 30 jobs this year… Ceratizit will cut up to 25 jobs at the Latrobe, PA plant within the next 60 days… The Corner Brook paper mill on the west coast of Newfoundland is laying off 15 managers while unionized workers take a 10 percent pay cut… Hubbardton Forge, a Vermont lighting company, has cut 13 jobs.

Are you one of the Screwed? Check out Recessionwire’s Laid Off 101. Read more about layoffs at the sites compiled on our layoff tracker page.

A daily review of the employment fallout around the country and the world.

Today’s Total: 2,500

NYC Transit has announced the impending layoffs of 1,000 employees… Florida’s Jackson Memorial Hospital may be forced to cut 1,000 jobs and vacant positions in he face of a budget shortfall… ABC is looking to lay off up to 400 employees, or 20 percent of its staff, and is offering voluntary “separation packages” to all full-time non-union employees… Ford Motor Credit Business Center in Mauldin, SC is cutting its workforce of 425 by 100 employees by the end of March… Italian automaker Fiat is assigning temporary week-long layoffs to its workers in March and April.

Are you one of the Screwed? Check out Recessionwire’s Laid Off 101. Read more about layoffs at the sites compiled on our layoff tracker page.

Ah, recession…a perfect time for career reassessment. Especially when you get tossed out of our job and need to figure out your next move — but also when the economic shakeup makes you realize you’re not all that satisfied with your work.

We’re loving this handy chart from the book How to Keep Your Cool if You Lose Your Job. (Full-sized version below.)  You probably haven’t seen it, since author Kathryn Jackson lives in New Zealand. But it’s a wonderful way to visualize and measure all the different aspects of your work. (Or, if you’re not working, what your last position had or was lacking.) How much are you learning? Do you have enough work/life balance? How’s the financial reward?

The next step is really crucial: Think about and write down what each piece would look like in your idea work situation. Then use the map to either make changes in your current work situation OR help guide your job-hunting decisions. We’re working on ours right now…

We’ve been thinking a lot about “personal branding” here at Recessionwire. In an economy where there are more people looking than jobs—and it’s expected to stay that way for years, if forever—we’ve all got to take things into our own hands a bit more. Do what we can to stand out, and create a roadmap and profile for the careers we want. “Personal branding” is a big part of that.

Of course, it’s something that seems to make more sense for those who have a track record to shape into a story behind a personal brand. But even college students and grads should be thinking about how to position themselves and create their own platform, whether it’s to get a full-time job or chart an alternative path through starting a business or consulting or freelance work.

PricewaterhouseCoopers is doing a good job of addressing this issue, with a program called “Personal Branding Week.” It’s online and it’s free. There are instructive tips and accompanying worksheets that are really quite brilliant. But even though PwC says it’s focusing on students and grads, everyone should spend some time going through this process.

It begins with “your elevator speech.” This is meant to help you hone your focus and passion into something you really want to do, and can articulate. The tips include everything you need to know to present a successful elevator pitch, including looking the part. “Your passion” helps you access the things that interest you, and incorporate them into your life, so that you are living the “personal brand” you are aiming to own.

Next up is leveraging your network: who do you know in the fields you’re interested in? Tap into those you know for knowledge or contacts. The tips help you with ideas for developing those important relationships further.

Of course, no “personal brand” is complete without a honed online effort. PwC offers guidelines and steps for getting this right.

And finally, the company reminds you that flexibility is key—in terms of the opportunities you look for and the ways you find out about them.

Everyone, whether they are unemployed or just looking, would benefit from this little five-day course.