How to Answer: "What Have You Been Doing While Unemployed?"

By Arnie Fertig

According to the latest reports from the U.S. Labor Department, unemployment statistics are creeping downward. This offers job hunters both good and bad news.

Economists attribute the decreasing unemployment rate to three main factors:

1. Employers are hiring, at least to a degree. While the pace of hiring isn't what we would like, it is still moderately good news.

2. The first wave of the baby boomer generation is cycling out of the workforce. This is great news for those who have saved and invested enough over the years to jettison the workplace and begin to fulfill their retirement vision. As more baby boomers retire, they make way for younger generations to climb to the next rung on the corporate ladder. This is also good news.