Meikeisha Scott-Parker, out of work as a project manager since January, recently cleared a second-round interview and believed an offer was imminent. But she didn't get the job because she was overqualified and too expensive, a recruiter told her.

  A few days later, she saw the same position reposted with an advertised wage that was $10 an hour less than originally listed. She figures the company either trimmed its budget or concluded that it could find adequate help at a bargain price.

  "The truth is, had they asked me, I might have taken $10 less because of the situation that I'm in," Scott-Parker says. "The market is so slow right now."