I just read about the well educated candidate who was out of work since 2002.  I have had the same problem, I was offered to take more responsibility with a cut of $35K, when I asked how this works, I was told my serverence was in HR.  After I left I tried to get back into work, and as of today I still cannot get a job, yet I graduate summa #### laude from a highly regarded college in Boston.  I as the first in my MBA class to get a full-time job, and I worked for 21 years getting recruited from job to job, until 2002.  I am against big business for they have too much leverage to negotiate both in and out of there own company.