Poll: How YOU Doin’?

So we’re into another decade, and despite reports that the recession is easing up, from where I sit it still looks grim. The LBUH is still the LBUH, although the “U” now stands for “under-employed” instead of “unemployed”, as he’s been picking up a lot of free lance work, including from one of his former employers. Blondie is still without full-time employment, although she’s picked up some contract work to tide her over as well.* So, we’re holding steady over here at Rec(ession)ipes, and bracing ourselves for a longer haul. But what about YOU, dear readers? How are you holding up? What impact is the Great Recession having on you?

* So that’s two unemployed people in my own inner circle who nonetheless don’t get reported in those “unemployment” numbers you keep hearing about. Everyone seems to acknowledget that there are large quantities of people that aren't reflected in these reports, but I find it frustrating that there still doesn’t seem to be any effort to capture the information (such as people who give up looking, or no longer qualify for unemployment, etc.) that all acknowledge isn’t reflected. I think the actual number of people who are scraping by with part-time sporadic work that doesn't provide them with health insurance or other benefits is probably extremely large and worth more than an "oh yeah, we're not counting those people" footnote.