Even when workers are at a premium, some will find themselves without a job. University of Northern Iowa Economic department head Fred Abraham says the business environment never guarantees you a job.Abraham says there are some things you can do to prepare just in case you find yourself “involuntarily unemployed.” He says some suggest keeping six months salary saved up for such an emergency.Another way to insure yourself against job-loss disaster is make sure you’re valuable as a worker.Abraham recommends looking at your skill level, and be as good as you can. Improving all the time will make you more valuable to a current employer, and a better prospect if you’re on the job market. The economics professor says a decade ago a lot of companies thought they were making good moves by “down-sizing” their work force.Abraham says companies since have realized that they’ll be hurt in the long run if they save money by laying off their best employees. But even in the best economy, changes in market position and company structure will mean some layoffs, even in the best of times.
