When markets fall and demand for goods and services drops to levels lower than certain government officials’ approval ratings, it is the employees who always suffer first.

As their employers try everything to cut costs and jack up profits, pink slips come flying in and workers are shown the door.

Never mind that these people have spent most of their productive years toiling for their erstwhile bosses. Never mind that dis-employing these workers would in the long run negate whatever savings the companies might have earned, not the least of which is what we normally refer to as goodwill.

Anyway, what this corner would like to say is that in times like this, when employers can send off any employee at the first sign of an economic slowdown, it is perfectly OK for employees to be proactive in protecting themselves by checking what jobs are available in the market right now.

Job Web Sites Popular

A Nielsen Online study seems to support this corner’s take on the issue. The market research firm found a 20-percent increase in visitor traffic to online sites for career development and jobs. Seems that, according to the study conducted by the company, the massive layoffs hitting the ranks of employees at the moment, is driving this increase in unique visitors to job-search and career-development Web sites.

People are worried about their jobs. And who could blame them? Employers are firing workers left and right to cut costs and pay obeisance to their stockholders.

Pirate’s Sound

Watermarking technologies are as effective as sleeping prosecutors in deterring camcorder pirates. You know, those people who bring in their camcorders to cinemas and secretly shoot the movies being projected onto the silverscreen. Then make DVD copies of what they stole and sell them at fire-sale prices.

Anyway, some Japanese engineers have developed an audio watermarking technology that can pinpoint with Big Brother-like accuracy the cinema seat where the camcorder pirate was when he or she bootlegged the movie. That is, in addition to determining which cinema was used, and the date and time when the movie was misappropriated.

Pirates, your days are numbered.

Sidekicks Stolen

According to an Associated Press story, the T-Mobile Sidekick is the most popular mobile phone among thieves in the United States.

While the phone has never been able to barge into consumer research firm NPD Group’s list of the five best-selling phones, the Sidekick is definitely one of the most stolen handsets.

Some observers say that the phone’s urban and hip appeal makes it attractive to phone snatchers.

In this country, it doesn’t matter what model your mobile phone is. You flash it, you lose it to thieves and robbers.

Pinoy thieves are more democratic than their American counterparts.

That’s all for the meantime, folks. Join me again next time as we keep on watching IT.