Baruch Hashem, I have not suffered yet in this recession. Things are rough, bills are high, and it seems like taxes are going up. But I have been withholding more taxes than I owe for many years, and if it goes up it only means less of a refund.
I am working like a maniac dog, driving 3 hours a day back and forth to work, and tired most of the time. But my job allows me to work without much physical exertion, as I am a software engineer, and I really have always enjoyed writing software since I was in my teens. I wish that there were more well-trained and motivated software engineering students in the states because it seems like most of the engineers are here on foreign visas.
It is my greatest hope that the economy turns around. I don't really know the magic bullet to get out. I own stock in my company as a part of the benefit package and it seems like our stock is really hanging in there. I often compare this companies stock to the stock of the previous company I worked for and my current company is outperforming my last company.
What I am saying is that there is a great recession. But even so there are places where it is safe from the storm. I daven each day for everyone to find their parnassa {livelihood}. It is my advice to seek work in the professional field because with Hashems help you will find the job you are meant to find. I have been working steadily since I was only 16 and have moved up every time I got a new job...
May everyone find parnassa in this difficult time...