The Truth About Job Hunting in 2009

2009's arrival prompts a lot of questions: Will the economy get worse before it gets better? Will companies lay off more people? Can I still find a new job?

Any answer is, of course, an educated guess at best. Yet, you shouldn't assume that tight budgets and slowed job growth -- if they continue -- mean everyone is tied to their current jobs forever. People will still leave jobs and others will come in to replace them.

Retirements, career switches, births, relocations -- the many reasons workers have left jobs in the past will continue through 2009. You should expect a little more competition for these open positions, but your job search shouldn't stop.