Reply #7: Where I live...

[Harmony Blue]

the economy is worsening. People with resumes are coming into grocery stores just to find a minimum wage job as a grocery clerk, or even as a cashier. Many of the homeless in the area have stopped begging for money, but now are asking for food or jobs. I am seeing also an increasing amount of stray kittens, which I found to be unfathomable, but it is very true. The number of people using a Food stamps debit card has soared to unthinkable levels. A good indication of this, is that, many of these new users of Food Stamps cards do not know what they can buy, and must be educated upon.

The only infusion of capital for the area is coming from outsiders that visit from Northern states (retirees), and Canadians, but that will all end after April as they head back North. There is improvement for entry level jobs for graduating students, but that is an implicit admission that the unemployed with many years of experience may be forced to start at the bottom again (eg. Going from 75k, to 30k per year salary). It is not unheard of to hear many with masters degrees now having to work two jobs. And there is no way to make a living with a minimum wage job, so two is pretty much the norm now when you talk with anyone (Yes we have reached the point that two jobs is the norm now...so sad). The number of full time workers in minimum wage jobs has shrunk drastically.

Oh, by the way, this is Florida which I am describing, and it doesn't help that the new Governator is leaving a trail of destruction to an already fragile state.