Increase in Offers of Training and Development:

One of the interesting, and obvious, side-effects of the current economic recession, is the increase in emails offering training and development. I'm afraid I don't have rock-solid statistics so call this more of an anecdotal observation but the increase is noticeable. As an example (and not an endorsement), I've gotten several unsolicited emails from http://peakperformancesalestraining.com/. Their basic pitch is an offer to help me improve my sales skills: "Proactive Prospecting in a Negative Economy -- Overcome Call Reluctance and the Negative Impact of Ineffective Traditional Prospecting".

As a non-sales person, this particular trolling has no real impact on me. However, as noted previously, improving one's skills is a definite tactic for finding or holding onto one's position. Clearly, some sort of additional education can be very beneficial but caveat emptor.

College Enrollment is Up:

Reputable on-line training is one way to go as one looks to add to their educational arsenal. A more traditional approach as people look to improve their skills to gain an advantage in the work force, especially an ever more precarious work-force, is that people go back to and/or stay in school. That college enrollment is up is no surprise and is being reported by several sources, including USA today and Voice of America. Having just entered a student in UC Davis, I'm well aware of the increase in competition.

Employee Abuse on the Rise:

One of the more unsavory side-effects of a poor economy is that management may trend toward the dark-side.

That is, some managers (certainly the bad ones) may feel that they have a captive work-force with whom they can can do anything ("waddya gonna do? find another job?"). This has a cancerous ripple effect throughout an organization. Even if one is not being treated poorly but one sees it happening to others, their dedication to the company lessens. At the very least, they become less productive; at most, they may actually drift into counter-productivity or outright dishonesty.

As we like to say here at Problem Boss, "No one ever did the wrong thing by doing the right thing."

Graying Workforce:

A prescient article by the AARP foreshadows a workforce trend that continues even in this downturn: workers are staying on the job longer. In California, for example, a recent report shows "Californians are working later in life than they once did, and the trend of a graying work force — particularly among women — has continued even as the economy fell into a deep recession."

Increase in Temporary and Contract Opportunities:

Even as the economy contracts, and as lay-offs increase, companies still need to get work done. Frequently (and increasingly) they must turn to temporary or contract workers. This presents a great opportunity to those of you that are 'in-between' positions.

Dice.com, for example, is reporting that even as the overall job market contracts, the percentage of positions begin filled on a part-time or contract basis is growing. A recent CNET article summarized it nicely.