The economy

[catnapper]

People were hit here, but not as hard as elsewhere. I think its because our area has always been depressed, so a dip in the economy is less noticable here.

Work has been good. We had a record 4th quarter. I am hitting bonus every month (yay me!) but this month has been awful. I'll chalk it up to the weather

We eat out a lot and the places are always busy. Few restaurants have closed, in fact a ton of new places have opened up in the past few months.

[Pembroke_Corgi]

Things are not going well here, especially in the field of education. I am hoping to find a teaching position for the next school year but we may have to move (my husband and I have interviews in New Orleans- cross your fingers for us please!). Most of the districts in the metro area are cutting their budgets (and the state is, too) and laying off teachers instead of hiring. My husband has a very stressful job he is unable to leave because there is nothing else.

[Asiel]

We've seen things go downhill, mostly smaller stores are closing. Somehow the big box stores are taking over but I don't know how they're making it as they always seem empty when we go. Some people have lost their homes, some have moved away and others are about the same. I think it depends on where one is working, some places don't seem to be affected while so many others have closed shop. Lots of layoffs, employers are cutting back, I think mostly due to the box stores moving in. I don't see signs of the economy picking up around here, I feel sorry for the families that just bought new homes and have young children to support. Unemployment has gone up quite a bit. Easy to pick up a new house at a good price right now but I guess it evens out as you get less for yours than a few years ago.

[Marigold2]

I work in a very nice town, there is a new lovely shopping center there very upscale and several shops have closed. I think Z Gallery was the first to go. It's sad for every store that closes means more good people out of work, less money for people to spend and the country keeps going down. It will take years I am afraid for us to get back to where we once where, perhaps 10 to 20. In the meantime a new poor will emerge the once middle to upper class. We the people with two cars who bought or built our sparkling new homes and once shopped at Macy's and Ethen Allen. We who sent our kids to college to become Dr's and IT's, nurses, teachers, business managers. Our children now also suffer just when they are having children of there own to enjoy. It is so sad that you can work like a crazy person and then turn around and not be able to pay your gas bill to stay warm. My heart goes out to all.

[kokopup]

They just announced that one of our oldest pipe plants is closing. I would say that we are effected but not like most of the country. Our city's (Birmingham) budget is in shambles but our state is heathy with announcements of new job being created because of expanded plant capacity or new plants coming in. Birmingham's, and the State for that matter, largest employer is UAB Medical Center/School with over 50,000 direct employee and all of the industries that support a major medical complex. The medical and automoble industry in the state is strong. Most of the new expansions or additions are in the automobile, aviation or medical fields. Trinity Medical is busy finishing the Digital Hospital that Health South started a few years ago. Trinity is now using the old Montclair Baptist Hospital location.