employees

Tech layoffs came to just under 47,000 last year, according to employment-services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas. Better still, during the next 10 years, the sector is forecast to have one of the fastest paces of job creation of any industry.

After increases during 2007 and 2008 in the number of unionized workers, 2010 is following 2009 in showing a big drop. Governments now employ more union labor than the private sector does, but both categories showed declines in 2010. It's a far cry from labor's glory years.

Fresh data show that the number of promotions given to American workers has dwindled, suggesting that even those with jobs are having a tough time getting ahead. Fewer promotions are "a sign of the lingering impacts of the recession," one expert says.

A new survey by job-services firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas found the number of unemployed seeking work similar to what it found in 2009. Now, though, people are more optimistic that they'll land a job. Challenger agrees, but it notes the path is still long and difficult.

The dawning of 2011 marks a milestone: The first of the nation's 76 million baby boomers turn 65, the traditional retirement age. New polls, however, show that for a range of reasons few boomers of this age are ready to retire. In fact, some don't ever expect to stop working.

Recession-weary workers may finally get some encouraging news: Private-sector annual wages will improve in the coming months, albeit modestly, according to data compiled by BNA, publisher of Daily Labor Report.

In a bid to promote a more polished image, Swiss-banking giant UBS is giving employees a 43-page guide that advises them on how to dress to impress when dealing with clients, in extreme detail. Do: Wear jackets buttoned. Don't: Let underwear be seen.

Right now, millions of Christmas presents are zooming around the country in FedEx trucks -- driven, one might think, by FedEx employees. However, it turns out the employment status of those drivers depends on which state they are working in, and according to a judicial ruling issued Tuesday, most are independent contractors.

With the recession over -- in a sense, anyway -- many CEOs are happy to be standing. And after three tumultuous years, some are even cautiously optimistic. But 2011 is sure to present a whole new set of obstacles for corporate chiefs to confront -- and conquer.

An increasing number of observers, citing a preponderance of positive data, are optimistic that the stagnant labor market is finally beginning to gain momentum. But the pace is still way too slow for those desperately seeking work.