Slaves of the Job Market Arise! The '08 Peak is Back!

According to CNN Money,

After a winter slowdown, the job market hit a milestone in March as the private sector finally recovered all the jobs lost in the 2008 financial crisis.

The U.S. economy added 192,000 jobs, and the unemployment rate remained at 6.7% in March, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Friday.

Those job gains came entirely from the private sector, as government jobs were flat.

Looking strictly at the private sector, that means the labor market is back to its pre-crisis peak.

You know what that means?

That means you are no longer a slave to your current employer, the one who hasn't given raises for the past five years. The one who says, "go ahead, complain, there are a dozen people standing right behind you to take the job you don't like." The one who doesn't support your career growth. The CEO or senior partner who doesn't even know your name.

It's time to recall what your true market value is, how much your workplace depends upon your contribution. The fact that you're among the 20% of employees who are "engaged" and likely at the top of the bell curve you've carried like an Olympic torch since grade school.

It's time to ask for a raise or start looking for better opportunities.

It's time to hire Lisa Gates or Victoria Pynchon at She Negotiates to help you learn and then earn your true market value. At the very least, it's time to take an online course, watch Lisa's terrific Lynda.com videos, or read everything we've written about negotiating your career over at The Daily Muse.

Don't be a slave to the jobless recovery. Join us. We're committed to closing your personal wage gap for Equal Pay Day.