RJ and Makay

Although the job market hasn't shown much improvement since the recession began, projections for job growth in 2011 are optimistic. That's because the earliest signs of revival are there.

Businesses increased their payrolls by 103,000 workers in December, for example, and the Labor Department recently revised its initial estimates of October and November job gains upward by 70,000. Furthermore, unemployment fell to 9.4% from 9.8% in November (although that drop partly reflected people who have simply stopped looking for work).