tough times?
For me, going on the 2nd year at work with no raise. I'm still working steady, so, there is a silver lining, for the moment at least. I've seen hard times before but this time is different. In the past (70's-80's) there were jobs to fall back on, if you were fired or laid off. This time around, those fall back jobs are the ones that have been either closed, moved or outsourced.
Another thing I've noticed that makes this current situation different. I've seen a lot of smart, skilled and educated individuals that are having difficult times. I'm a pessimist, I don't see this turning a real corner anytime soon.