They say the economy is recovering

Same here. I was surprised 2 weeks ago when I went to the grocery and saw the KFC closed and deserted, the signs taken down. Strip malls have many empty stores and our shopping mall has empty spaces, too. For every job that comes here, at least 2 have been lost. This is not a recovery, at least where I live. http://www.foxnews.com/us/2011/08/11/economic-woes-lead-to-proliferation-tent-cities-nationwide/ http://news.bbc.co.uk/panorama/hi/front_page/newsid_9694000/9694094.stm These tent cities have been popping up since 2008 in the aftermath of the real estate crash, truth be told, but they are increasing as people run out of money. We are not being told the truth. We never are and we never will be told the truth but soon, if things don't change, the truth will be so obvious the media won't be able to hide it.

It's bad here, too. It makes me want to cry, driving along the interstate where not so long ago, there was a new bank, a nice restaurant, a new car dealer... all gone. It's not just about the economy. It's about everything. Back in the day, it was known that the official Russian "newspaper" was printing nothing but lies, telling its people how bad things were in other countries (specifically the US and UK) while they themselves were doing without daily necessities. We thought it was awful, how they lied to the population and how people didn't know any different. We felt so sorry for them. We are being lied to. And when a government controls the media, it controls the people. We may not believe the hype on the economy, but there are those who do.

WE get the same thing even tho we are a big city th e strp malls shops are all empty. we have even lost several starbucks! Mc DOnalds seem to be doing ok thye are giving them face lifts. We are one of the highest unemployment like they say 14% think it is more only thing that seems on going is road repai and hey have lots of them all messed up with those orange cones

I watch Fox News and it says that many have stopped looking for a job. I have often wondered how hard it was for people in small towns to get jobs. I believe the opportunities are rather limited, restaurants, and stores. etc. I know I am a city girl, and when we had a economic crisis decades ago, I was pounding the pavement looking for work and had to take jobs that well someone who only had a grade school education could have. It looks like a depression is looming around the corner. And how can you shop and eat locally when you have to choose between paying rent, mortgage, and the utilities and food? Who can afford to eat out?

im not sure. as i dont think anyone i know is looking for a job. i live in a suburb tho of a very large city. so my people are holding on tight to the jobs they have. i think the only one here that should be looking is not looking. anyway, my home town there in ohio has really looked like a ghost town for quite a few years not. as the businesses have mostly moved to the larger city of columbus or over seas

Hey Rob long time no talk to ( my fault I been gone. ) Anyhow yeah the economy recovering??? NOT! I recently read a news article approximately two or three weeks ago that stated some 3,000 troops were told they will be discharged before their enlistment term is up because of the cut backs. Troops of all people. Here we've always thought the armed forces was the most secure job to have. Well it seems it's not anymore. Real estate investors have bought up land here and are building cookie cutter homes some times putting 6 to 8 homes per acre over the past 5 or 6 years. You drive through these new developments and at least half if not more of these brand new homes have been sitting empty ever since they were built. As others mentioned strip malls have empty stores, coffee shops, local mom and pop restaurants all closing doors. The few jobs that are available literally are getting thousands of applications so ones chances of landing the job are next to none. My eldest boy told me the other day his teacher has a friend that has several degrees in college, is now delivering Pizzas because he can not find a job. It seems the only jobs available are labor intensive, and even those are being eaten up. With the price of gas, food, and utilities going up it's as if one is going to work just to fill the tank. It's only going to get worse from here. I don't see it getting any better any time soon. I have no doubt that welfare and the social security systems will fail. The world is going to hell in a hand basket as they say. It's a sad sad thing to see what our children have to look forward to, if this country survives long enough for them to see it.

Personally I have always wondered how they can continue to say that the Economy is recovering, and where are they really looking? I know around here there are people continually being laid off and jobs being scarce to find. Even people with many yrs. seniority and big bosses are being let go. If there is help for the Economy and hope for it, personally something really needs to change. Find jobs for those without, and ways for small companies even to continue to function.

Oklahoma seems to be doing okay. I don't follow every detail of our economy, but from what I see and hear on the news we are hanging in pretty well. I don't see a lot of businesses closing lately.

Things are not quite so bad where I live but it is a much larger place than where you live. As someone who has been unemployed for over 20 years and has been living off of my investments, the effect of the recession was to cut my income in half. I have since moved some of my investments into riskier things that pay higher dividends in an effort to get my income higher. I am helped a little bit by getting old enough to start getting my pension from where I worked before being laid off and becoming eligible for social security. But my main income is still from my investments which I was able to do because I have always been a saver(always saved at least 20% of my income in addition to a 401k) and have lived frugally. In my opinion Obama has hindered the recovery rather than helped it.

You know it is 2012 now. It is an end of the present world. Things here keep a downward trend, many young people can not find a job, and the wage is quite low far from enough to cover a common life. Now more than 30% of young people depend on their parents for survive and about 65% of young people call their parents for finance support. Now the one can depend themselves to meet two ends meet in my age is less than 10%. Though I do not have enough money to do what i want, I do not ask my parents for help and now try to find a better life and plan to have a oversea trip before the end of the year.

I have to say that I haven't really noticed much of a difference. It may be getting better, but very slowly. I still think that the job market is horrible right now. I feel that it may be a while before it gets better and we may be able to start noticing a difference. But that's just me. I hope I'm wrong, though.

That really stinks. I guess it's probably like that a lot in small towns. I'm glad I live in a big-ish city (the capital of my state) and it's nice to know that because there are a lot of people and businesses, there is a lot of business to be had. I don't really see a huge difference in the 'economy' of Minneapolis (the city I live in) because I have always had a stable job for the past 5+ years of working. *shrugs*. I guess I am lucky, but I feel like the 'economy' definitely varies from location to location!

Hi friend, sad to hear about this, i think your country is having heavy economical problem, so only lot of shops closed down. Hope this changes will be solved soon and you will enjoy the previous benefits.

Our town is doing well. Chowking is planning to build here in our small City. Gaisano Mall is renovated; it is bigger and wider now. There are lots of fast food chains here. I am so glad that our city is progressing. Maybe, there are only few consumers in your town that many establishments are leaving. Don’t lose hope; life is like a cycle there is always ups and downs.

I do not see any signs of the economy improving, but as where I live there is mostly service industry and retirees, most of the stores are staying. We did have a few shut down, though and some consolidated into a smaller space. Many people seem to be able to eat out no matter what. This is an area where I have always cut corners, but I have friends who are poorer than me and yet they eat out much more.

oh.. that is really bad. Everyday I hope that US & Europe economy quickly recover. In Malaysia, it is still full of activities but the worries is that the cost of living is sky rocketing day by day. Value of the money in the bank is shrinking everyday. It is alarming as the effect of slowdown in other countries will in turn be felt by us too ... in time to come!

We live in a small-mid sized city and from my own observations, I am seeing that things are getting better here than they were this time a year ago. The first thing that I am basing my observations on is the fact that my husband is a machinist and while we was unable to work any overtime last year, he is working overtime this year and there are more orders for their shop than there have been for quite a while. In addition to that, I also see that there are more new businesses opening around here than there have been in several years.

Yeah I agree with you. The economy isn't improving. And I have a feeling it is definitely going to get worse. Sorry to hear about all the businesses in your town that are closing down. Especially for the locally owned ones. That's a hardship on a lot of people who need to support themselves from those types of jobs.