Editorial

These are some of the results of The Harris Poll of 2,227 adults surveyed about what they are doing to save money.

Almost half of Americans (48%) say they are brown bagging lunch instead of purchasing it to save money, also slightly up from February when 45% said they were doing this. Two in five U.S. adults each say they have switched to refillable water bottles instead of purchasing bottles of water (39%) and are going to the hairdresser less often (38%). In February, one-third of Americans (34%) had switched to refillable water bottles to save money. Also, one-quarter (24%) have cut down on dry cleaning.

Looking at media habits, three in ten U.S. adults (31%) have canceled one or more magazine subscriptions and just under one in five (17%) have canceled a newspaper subscription. It's not just reading habits that are changing in these economic times, though. One in five Americans (22%) have canceled or cut back cable television service while an additional 22% say they have considered doing so.

In addition to brown-bagging it, other work habits have also changed. One in five Americans (22%) have stopped purchasing coffee in the morning, while 12% have begun carpooling or using mass transit (but this is not applicable to 48% of Americans who may not be working or may not have the ability to carpool or use mass transit).

Phone service has also changed as 15% have canceled their landline service and are only using cell phones, with an additional 22% saying they have considered this to save money. Cell phone usage is also changing as 15% say they have changed or canceled cell service to save money, with an additional 17% of Americans saying they have considered doing so.

Looking for a Job? 28% of all U.S. households have at least one member that is looking for a full-time job.

What are you doing to find work? ( please comment below)

Network. The best companies to work for tend to rely heavily (up to 40%) on employee referrals.[1]

Cold call. Locate a specific person who can help you (usually the human resources or hiring manager at a company or organization you're interested in). Call that person and ask if they are hiring.

Looking for work overseas?

Making your own job? 100 ideas for starting a small business

Study Examines Shifting Workplace, Generational Attitudes in Transitioning Economy

The more things change, the more different generations of workers become the same, suggests. The research shows that workers of all ages have a new appreciation for company stability when making career decisions. Yet, for many, getting to firmer ground may entail a career change: Four out of 10 professionals polled said they are more inclined to look for new opportunities outside their firms as a result of the recession. Other findings include:

-- Pay is not keeping up with performance. More than one-third (37
percent) of employees felt they are not being fairly compensated for
assuming a greater workload during the recession.

-- Work is more engaging. About one in four (28 percent) said they are
more engaged in their work as a result of the recession.

-- Generational views on next career steps differ. For Gen Y, looking for
a new job is the most common post-recession career plan, whereas Gen
Xers polled said they are more inclined to update their skills. For
baby boomers surveyed, staying put at their companies was the most
commonly cited post-recession career plan.

-- Cross-generational teams bring challenges, rewards. Nearly
three-quarters (72 percent) of hiring managers said managing
multigenerational work teams poses a challenge. But more than
one-third of workers polled felt having a group of employees at
different experience levels increases productivity.

-- Retirement plans are being put on hold. Nearly half (46 percent) of
workers believe they will work past the traditional retirement age,
and more than one-third said the recent recession has had a very
strong impact on those plans.

The study was developed by Robert Half, the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm, and conducted by an independent research firm. More than 1,400 professionals in North America who are employed full-time and have college degrees, or are earning college degrees, were surveyed for the project, including 502 hiring managers. Respondents included members of the baby boomer generation (approximately 46 to 64 years old), Generation X (approximately 32 to 45 years old) and Generation Y (approximately 21 to 31 years old*).

*Does not include all of Generation Y, only the segment old enough to have entered the workforce who have college degrees or are currently attending college.

Generational Similarities

Following are five similarities among the generations revealed in the research:

1. For all generations surveyed, working for a stable company and having
job security were two of the most important aspects of the work
environment, beating out having a short commute or working for a
socially responsible company.

2. When evaluating employment offers, salary, company stability and
benefits were the most important factors for all three generations,
according to those polled.

3. Healthcare coverage, dental coverage, vacation time and 401(k) matching
were the highest valued benefits for all generations surveyed.

4. Among professionals who plan to work past the traditional retirement
age, strong majorities in all generations cited the past recession as
an important factor in their decision.

5. The most commonly cited benefit of being part of multigenerational work
teams was bringing together various experience levels to provide
knowledge in specific areas.

Generational Differences

Following are five differences among the generations revealed in the research:

1. When it comes to post-recession career plans, more Gen Yers (36
percent) than Gen Xers (30 percent) and baby boomers (24 percent)
planned to look for new job opportunities.

2. Gen Xers polled were more inclined to enhance their skills sets (38
percent) and build tenure with their companies (33 percent) in the
aftermath of the recession than other generations.

3. A greater percentage of baby boomers (54 percent) than Gen X (46
percent) or Gen Y (39 percent) respondents said they will work past
the traditional retirement age.

4. More Gen Xers (34 percent) than baby boomers (27 percent) said they had
increased their retirement savings since the recession began.

5. More baby boomers (54 percent) than Gen X (45 percent) or Gen Y (35
percent) employees identified the greatest challenge when working with
multiple generations as having differing work ethics and approaches to
work/life balance; more Gen Yers attributed difficulties to differing
communication styles (29 percent for Gen Y versus 16 percent for both
Gen X respondents and baby boomers).

Source: Robert Half International

Robert Half International is the world's first and largest specialized staffing firm with more than 360 worldwide staffing locations. The company's specialized staffing divisions include Accountemps®, Robert Half® Finance & Accounting, and Robert Half® Management Resources, for temporary, full-time and senior-level project professionals, respectively, in the fields of accounting and finance; OfficeTeam®, for highly skilled temporary administrative support; Robert Half® Technology, for technology professionals; Robert Half® Legal, for project and full-time staffing of attorneys, paralegals and legal support personnel; and The Creative Group®, for creative, advertising, marketing and web design professionals. Find more information at www.roberthalf.com or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/roberthalf.