It's Tuesday, our day on The Takeaway to consider how work affects our lives. With millions of Americans scrambling to find work after layoffs, and millions more who will have to work longer because of losses in the stock market, we talk wtih Marci Alboher, Senior Fellow at Civic Ventures about whether it's possible, even in today's competitive job market, to find a job that is meaningful. James Smallwood, a union carpenter and the founder and CEO of the nonprofit The Choice is Yours Inc., says it is possible. He explains how he did it and how his employees are helping to benefit society.

For those out of work and looking for a job, staying motivated can be tough. But with a "job search buddy," job-seekers can lean on someone for encouragement. The Takeaway talks to Deborga DiRago, an out-of-work New Yorker, and Marci Alboher, a career expert who writes the blog Working the New Economy.

Jobless numbers are the highest levels in decades and there's been little good news for people who find themselves without work. But, believe it or not, there is still such a thing as a growth industry. It's just a matter of knowing which doors you need to get a foot into. The Takeaway talks to Marci Alboher, writer of the Working the New Economy blog on Yahoo!'s Shine. Share your tips for finding work in a down economy.

With unemployment numbers at 8.5 percent it’s hard for anyone who gets a pink slip to look for a job through rose colored glasses. But blogger Marci Alboher says there is promise for those pounding the pavement in this slumping economy, but it may not come from the traditional job hunting methods. She runs the Yahoo blog Working the New Economy, and she joins us with some true stories about people who are finding work in creative ways, which may be a necessity when times are tough.

Marci Alboher is a freelance writer/journalist/author/blogger/speaker who focuses on career and workplace trends. She talks about how to diversify your career portfolio in these tough times.

The unemployment numbers on the first Friday of every month only tell part of the economic story. All this week, The Takeaway is looking at underemployment. We want to hear your story. Call us at 877-8MY-TAKE.

The 2008 campaign season has come to an end and one thing that means is lots and lots of out-of-work politicos scrambling to find new gigs. Some of the winners will be headed to Washington, but for many, it's time to dive back into what's become an extremely competitive job market.
UPDATE: Marci Alboher wrote up a post on her blog, listing some points she didn't get to on air: http://shiftingcareers.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/politicos-scramble-for-new-jobs-like-so-many-other-americans/