A Week's Worth

• Dollar up? The greenback is bouncing back, having reached a three-month high against the euro last week. Although analysts say the dollar could edge up in the short term, the long-term trend still looks downward. US manufacturers are beginning to see that fall translate into a rise in their exports, which set a record in December. A further fall could help hotels and mining companies, says Schwab.

• A passion for work? Employees 55 and over are more likely than young go- getters to say their organization inspires the best in them. The margin was 43 to 28 percent, according to a survey. "Companies have to wake up to the fact that their young workers - their managers and skilled professionals of tomorrow - are the most dissatisfied and least engaged workers today," says Tamara Erickson of the Concours Group, which sponsored the survey with Age Wave, an independent think tank.

• If your job seems stale, there are ways to rekindle the excitement, says staffing firm Ajilon Office. Ask about new projects or other assignments you can do. Master skills needed for a higher position. Even interacting more frequently with co-workers can be a pick-me-up.

• Got a bad boss? Now you can tell him or her how to improve. A website (www.badbossology.com), which carries articles about how to handle difficult supervisors, has launched an e-mail service so that workers can send the material - anonymously - to their boss. So far, "we haven't had any negative feedback," says cofounder Gary Lahey.