The U.S. economy closed out 2008 as the worst year in job losses since 1945, according to the Labor Department. Nearly 2.6 million people lost their jobs this year; 1.9 million lost them during the past four months.

Job losses totaled 1.8 percent of employment, causing the unemployment rate to rise to 7.2 percent, the highest since 1982. While about 11.1 million Americans are now unemployed, another 3.4 million were forced into part-time work this year.

While the situation may seem hopeless for millions of Americans, many of them will find hope in entrepreneurship. It sounds kind of hokey, but it’s true. When times get tough and the outlook for mainstream jobs becomes bleak, entrepreneurship and ingenuity tend to flourish. Starting a business may not be a part of the plan that you created for yourself, but sometimes the hardships in life can lead you to something better than you had planned for yourself.

      del.icio.us   SphereIt   Reddit   Furl