As the economic recovery limps along, analysts continue to see mixed signals.

On the bright side, the US Department of Labor recently reported that the manufacturing sector added 195,000 jobs since December. At the same time, however, general unemployment rate held steady at 8.9 percent compared to February 2011 – although the jobless rate was down slightly by 0.9 percentage point since November 2010.

Bottom line: despite job gains in certain sectors like manufacturing, construction, transportation, and warehousing, companies are still showing reluctance to hire.

For those fortunate enough to have a job, that means their annual raises and bonuses may be lower than normal versus previous years – if they are offered at all. However, there are other perks available to high-performing workers.

Such workers should ask their superiors for additional (and free) training, telecommuting arrangements, and additional schedule flexibility. Employers should be open to such arrangements as long as they understand the consequences. Additional telecommuting, for example, will require they adopt scheduling software to keep track of new remote employees when the work in-office.

But ultimately, it’s a win-win for both parties. After all, the labor market will improve someday, and employees who are happy now are less likely to leave when the employment tables turn in the not-too-distant future.