If you or someone you know is looking for a job, there are 2 things you MUST know right now:

>> 1) On Friday, September 3 — tomorrow — the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics will announce unemployment figures for August.

From every indication, you can expect the jobless rate to hold steady above 9% — possibly higher in your state.

What this means for you: The “hidden” job market is about to plunge even deeper underground.

Here’s why …

Remember how hot the job market was just a few years ago? When “everybody” is hiring, there’s a race to snap up talent and hire more people.

It’s just supply and demand: When one company starts hiring, their competitors join in and hire, too, so they don’t get left behind.

Today, the opposite is true.

When “nobody” is hiring — as we’re told every day in the news — fewer employers will advertise job openings.

Why? Because they would get swamped with hundreds and thousands of resumes, each of which — by federal law — must be acknowledged and then stored in a database that can be inspected by regulators.

So, most employers would rather chew off their own leg than advertise job openings right now.

>> 2) Every year since 1996, we’ve seen the same seasonal pattern repeat itself: When summer ends, job seekers get really serious about finding work. This “rush” to get hired starts right after Labor Day — like clockwork.

What this means for you: Starting next week, you will face even more competition for jobs.

Bottom line: When you combine the post-Labor Day “rush” with fewer advertised openings …

… you get a huge stampede of hungry job seekers chasing after a tiny number of jobs.

If you’ve been out of work for more than 3 or 4 months, you know exactly what I mean.

It’s a living hell out there for the unemployed.

And it’s only going to get worse next week.

That’s why we’ve decided to celebrate Labor Day in a BIG way for you, our readers.

Come back here tomorrow for the answer …