Unemployment should ease slightly in 2012

The unemployment rate is expected to remain uncomfortably elevated in 2012: 8.5%, vs. 9.0% this fall. Yet recruiters and hiring managers say the job market won't be nearly as bad next year as it's been.

Hiring is picking up in several sectors, led by manufacturers that are benefiting from a weak dollar, and technology firms gearing up to meet growing demand from businesses upgrading their software and systems. Health care remains a hiring stalwart, and even nonprofits, which were hit especially hard by funding cuts in 2009 and 2010, are expected to rebound.