In job market shift, some workers are left behind

Many of the jobs lost during the recession are not coming back. Period. For the last two years, the weak economy has provided an opportunity for employers to do what they would have done anyway: dismiss millions of people–like file clerks, ticket agents and autoworkers–who were displaced by technological advances and international trade. The phasing out of these positions might have been accomplished through less painful means like attrition, buyouts or more incremental layoffs. But because of the recession, winter came early. The tough environment has been especially disorienting for older and more experienced workers like Cynthia Norton, 52, an unemployed administrative assistant in Jacksonville. "I know I'm good at this," says Ms. Norton. "So how the hell did I end up here?"