Job seekers in 2009 will find the toughest hiring climate since 2002, when the economy was suffering broadly due to 9/11 and the end of the dotcom boom. Many types of employers are restructuring and downsizing thanks to the deep financial crisis of 2007-2009. Job seekers who want good positions will be forced to be better prepared and to do better research than in the boom years of the recent past. They will also have to work harder to find a good job.

The general outlook is that 2009’s job market will be very poor. Employers will be cautious about hiring new people or investing in new facilities. There will be large numbers of layoffs.

Job seekers in 2009 should be prepared for the fact that nearly all industry sectors will suffer some ill effects from economic and financial market problems that originated when the housing bubble finally popped in mid-2007 and the financial meltdown accelerated in 2008. America’s unemployment rate grew steadily through 2008, and unemployment will remain very high in 2009, relative to recent years.

The good news is that a select set of employers and growth companies will offer good job opportunities during 2009. In this period of challenges, a few companies will enjoy booming business. Sectors such as solar energy, education and health care are growing. Companies involved in installing renewable energy devices, weather stripping and energy-saving equipment will prosper.

Other firms will hire only limited numbers of employees, while some will downsize dramatically. Most firms that specialize in manufacturing or selling luxury items and discretionary services will find business to be very slow. Many companies will continue to wrestle with challenges such as slow sales, intense competition and tight credit.

Growing numbers of consumers will prefer firms that sell goods and services online, offering savings of time, money and car travel. This boosts companies like Amazon.com that offer low prices combined with deep selections and great customer service.

The travel industry will continue to suffer as both business and leisure travel have been cut dramatically. Travel firms that do best will be those offering all-inclusive prices that seem like bargains, such as popular cruise lines.

The automobile and banking sectors will face continued tough times. Consumers will be more likely to fix up their old cars than buy new ones—a positive sign for auto parts stores and car repair firms. Likewise, homeowners may make repairs or do light remodeling rather than move up to a larger home.

Americans who find themselves in the market for a job will need to understand the changes surging through the economy in order to determine which companies to pursue and which to avoid. The U.S. employment market is evolving quickly, and job seekers must be both knowledgeable and nimble in order to position themselves to find promising careers.

In order to create a robust job market, corporate investment, profits, productivity and revenues must align themselves correctly. These economic indicators were positive during the 2003 to mid-2007 period, and millions of new American jobs were created. As 2007 was winding down, the residential real estate crash and difficult credit markets were combining to restrain the economy and put a damper on the creation of new jobs. Unfortunately, 2008 saw these problems begin to spread throughout most U.S. business sectors and throughout the global economy as well. Eventually, a major global meltdown at banks and investment firms occurred.

2009, chief executives will continue to find themselves under intense pressure to maintain profitability while keeping their staffs and investment needs lean. The uncertainty created by the financial crisis will make corporate executives extremely cautious.

grads will find it difficult to land their dream jobs. Nonetheless, there will still be good job opportunities for those who are diligent in seeking good employers in stronger business sectors.

Some employees will find their work hours cut, face temporary furloughs, or have their pay or benefits cut. Many people who would prefer to be hired as permanent employees will find work as temps instead. Other employees will find that their jobs have been eliminated because work has been outsourced to another firm.

The employment market during most of the 1990s was exceptionally strong. In April 2000, the unemployment rate dropped to 3.9%, a 30-year record low, and 24 million new jobs had been created in the U.S. during the then nine-year-long economic boom. (Like all boom times, the boom of the ‘90s finally came to a close; the unprecedented job market and stock market wound down.)

By late 2001, as the tech boom tapered off, the national unemployment rate in America shot up to 6%, representing just under 9 million people seeking jobs.

The U.S. unemployment rate in August 2007 was down to 4.6%. By August 2008, the unemployment rate shot up to 6.1%, and reached 7.6% in early 2009. It will go much higher before this recession has ended. Nonetheless, over 130 million Americans are employed, and many job seekers will be able to find satisfying jobs if they apply themselves to the job hunt, make sure their resumes’ self-marketing skills are in superb shape, network effectively and do thorough research. The number of people applying for each job opening will rise. Consequently, it is vital for a job seeker to understand how to best apply for a job online, how to shine during an interview and how to create an effective list of prospective employers.

Meanwhile, many of America’s 78 million Baby Boomers are hoping to retire soon and leave the job market—this will eventually make prospects more promising for younger workers. However, this trend will be tempered by the weak financial markets of 2008 and 2009. Many people over the age of 60 who want to retire will be reluctant (or unable) to do so because the value of their investments in real estate, stocks, bonds and/or funds is down considerably, and they have lost confidence in financial markets at the same time that they lost retirement dollars. Some would-be retirees will be working much later in life than they had planned.

In order to compete effectively in today’s job market, one of the most important things you can do is arm yourself with knowledge. It is vital for the knowledgeable job seeker to use the best reference tools possible in order to seek out employers that offer a reasonable balance of financial stability, opportunities for advancement and good pay. Excellent job opportunities always exist if you know where to look. Many of America’s most successful firms currently need large numbers of new employees.

For example, the health care sector continues to create huge numbers of job openings yearly. The American health care sector gained an average of 30,000 employees each month during 2008. There is a critical shortage of nurses and other health care specialists. Leading companies in biotechnology, renewable energy, online services and education will greatly expand their businesses over the mid term. Employment in private education rose by 33,000 in the month of January 2009. Thousands of additional companies, in technical and non-technical sectors, will need large numbers of new hires. In particular, companies that offer products or services that save time and/or money will prosper—for example, many types of discount retailers, along with companies that offer services that help businesses operate more efficiently. Meanwhile, large companies that are not increasing their overall numbers of employees will be hiring on a regular basis due to normal attrition—that is, the loss of employees due to retirement, relocation or other personal circumstances. For example, a company the size of Walgreen’s typically needs to hire tens of thousands of workers yearly due to normal attrition.