I have been underemployed for over 6 years. Used to make six figures (not bragging, just stating) and now make $11 an hour. I looked for a higher paying job - very willing to take 1/2 the pay I used to make - but eventually took this job because it pays benefits and that's worth a ton of money. Had to sell my house, drive an 11 year old car, live very frugally. There are lots that have it worse than I do ... but when we're talking about the economy, I know that my drastic income reduction has hurt: my income taxes, sales taxes, overall spending are greatly reduced. I am committed to the area due to caring for an aged parent, but I am frustrated and discouraged by the opportunities in this area. I know my skills are transferrable to many jobs but so many employers look at my past job level (executive) and pay and instantly decide "oh, we can't hire her for this $50k job, she'll leave us as soon as she finds something better." For goodness sake, I've been working for 6 years at $11/hour - how much more is going to open up here?

I lost a good paying job with a local school district in September. There isn't much out there for someone with 25 years experience in the food industry and a masters degree. There are lots of entry level jobs, but nothing on a higher level.

For the same type of work, other places pay significantly more than in Rochester.

I was let go from my last job last December. I heard nor saw nothing about any jobs for me. Until recently. I am working again and the calls are coming in for more positions so I think the Rochester area is doing quite well. And so will the rest of the states. People need time to find their way to new jobs whatever they may be. And find their way they will. It may not be what they did previously but the skills they had can be reapplied to other jobs.

Parts of the economy have started to recover, other parts are getting worse. As for blaming Obama, he did not cause the mess, but he is absolutely making it much worse. The uncertainties and expected higher taxes from Cap and Trade, Health Care and several proposed regulatory changes have small medium and even some large businesses in a holding pattern. No one is going to hire right now when they have no clue what next years payroll taxes will be, let alone their total tax bill. When you can not forecast your expenses you don't make investments, not in people or in equipment. Businesses in the US already pay higher taxes than Europe and Asia, and the idiots in DC are hell bent on making it worse. If they succeed, guess where the jobs will go. Here is a clue, look at the job migrations from high tax states to low tax states and then apply that on a national level. But hey, who needs a job if we all have a public "option"?

I am sure no one or no one party caused this mess. Stop the finger pointing and let's get the problem fixed. Policies are needed so there is a demand and competition for labor within the US.

the resulting 10% unemployment is from years and years of combined factors you simpleton. Not because of a president.

Sorry GetaLife, but with so many laid off, unable to find any kind of work (even those low-level jobs no one else wants) this country is still sending billions overseas to 'help' other countries and their people. We are there for weather related things, we are there to feed those who are hungry, we are there to build bldgs for those in Iraq and Afghanistan. But who is there for those of us in the good ole U.S. of A.? Surely not a prez who apologizes to every ethnic group and country of the world for wrongs that were 'supposedly' handed out by the U.S. of A. all the while still sending billions to HELP THEIR PEOPLE! Burn the US in effigy but keep sending the $$$$$ from the citizens to help us is all I hear on the news. How about our children that don't have food in their homes, how about our people who are losing their jobs to Asians or India citizens? Those jobs are GONE. Most likely never to return. No one seems to be seeing that because the CEO and SVP jobs are still available in this country. They are not at risk of losing everything! Who is going to help the gen'l taxpayer who can't find a job, is losing home, car, family, dignity and still can't get a break because someone in politics is telling every country of the world that the U.S. is apologizing for everything under the sun? And then STILL asking gen'l citizen to continue paying taxes so the $$$ can be sent overseas. At this rate, we'll never get out of this depression w/o a hostile takeover by another country at some point. China owns us right now.

Of course not, it's no ones fault. 787 billion is a drop in the bucket to get things back on track. The resulting 10% unemployment rate is just a small stepping stone we need to overcome. M.O.R.O.N.

Blaming a president for this mess is silly. There are too many factors that go into the economy to blame Obama or Bush or whoever for this.