As the joblessness rate goes up it’s becoming almost commonplace for American workers to consider a plan of action in case they get laid off. But is there a way to be proactive and stave off a layoff? Cali Yost, blogger for Fast Company magazine joins The Takeaway to talk about ways to save your job such as talking to your employer about saving the company money. Yost writes and consults on work and life issues.

Today is a big day for General Motors. They are preparing to announce how they plan to repay the $13.4 billion loan Congress doled out late last year. Workers at GM plants are anxiously awaiting to hear the detail of the plan, too, because their union is in the middle of negotiating a health care plan with the automaker. Nick Bunkley has been covering this developing story for our partner, the New York Times, and he joins us now.

For more, read Nick Bunkley's and Bill Vlasic's article, Union Talks Seen as Key as G.M. Makes Case for Funds in today's New York Times.

New unemployment numbers have just been released and they are fairly grim. Employers faced with declining sales eliminated 598,000 jobs in January, the most since the end of 1974. As the unemployment rate jumps to 7.6 percent with no end in sight, we turn to Jim Ellis, assistant managing editor at BusinessWeek to help parse the numbers.

For more information, here is the New York Times report on the numbers, 598,000 Jobs Lost as Jobless Rate Hit 7.6% in January.

As a result of the wave of job losses, we are about to hit a milestone in gender roles in that women will soon hold more payroll jobs than men. Catherine Rampell, who writes about economics at the New York Times, is here to talk about what this shift will mean in the lives of American families.

For further information, read Catherine Rampell's article, As Layoffs Surge, Women May Pass Men in Job Force, in today's New York Times.

There's no bridge to nowhere or teapot museum in the economic stimulus package, but that doesn't mean that it's free of earmarks, pet projects, or favors to special interests. As part of the ShovelWatch joint project of the non-profit investigative journalism organization ProPublica, The Takeaway and WNYC Radio, ProPublica's Michael Grabell and WNYC's Matthew Schuerman join us to take a look at some examples of stimulus funds that are being allocated according to local, not national, priorities.

ShovelWatching: We're asking you, Takeaway listeners and readers, to help us report on the stimulus dollars as they travel from Washington, D.C., to your neighborhood. Tell us how the stimulus plan is playing out in your community and we'll share your stories online and on air, and we'll continue the investigation with your help.

In the latest indication of plummeting corporate confidence, companies in almost every industry from construction to pharmaceuticals have announced massive job cuts worldwide. The Takeaway talks to Jim Ellis, assistant managing editor at Business Week for a preview of what's to come.

The auto industry's troubles are threatening the well-being of African-Americans more than any other racial or ethnic group. New York Times contributor Mary Chapman joins The Takeaway with a look at how car manufacturing job losses are affecting the black community.

Want more? Check out Mary Chapman's article in The New York Times.

Not since 1974 have so many jobs disappeared in a single month. 1974 was the year John graduated from high school.