Employees over 50 years, which currently account for 14% of the staff of BMW, in ten years form 37% of staff. A demographic challenge which the German car manufacturer attacked six months ago, launching a pilot project at its plant in Dingolfing, which is to simulate the age structure of employees in the group in 2017. The first assessment BMW just made is very positive.

The president of the CEOE, Gerardo Díaz Ferrán, has warned in the special debate on Spanish TV (announced yesterday in this blog) that if not cheaper dismissal, the unemployment rate will exceed 20 percent of the workforce .

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Between now and September 2012, the outlook for federal government careers will be sunny and government jobs will be plentiful, experts say. However at the state and local levels, the layoffs and furloughs that characterized 2009 are likely to continue or accelerate as those governments respond to lower tax revenues.

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When it comes to prospects for a resurgence of engineer hiring in 2010, understatement is the watchword.
“Compared to 2009, we think 2010 will be better,” says Kurt Rippelmeyer, industry principal for engineering and energy at staffing firm Yoh. With credit tight, production down and the future unusually uncertain, many firms laid off engineers in 2009. As the new decade begins, when firms do hire, they will likely place strong hedges on their bets.

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For many of us, writing a cover letter is about as fun as having a root canal or being audited by the IRS. Add a period of unemployment to the mix, and the task can seem downright daunting. Don’t let time away from the workforce prevent you from writing a good cover letter. Try these expert tips.

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