We're all going to hell in a hand basket. Unemployment rates are skyrocketing, foreclosures are still on the rise, inflation may be coming, and we could be in a depression, not a recession. One number that seems to be missing from the numbers of our times are the numbers that reflect the "under-employed". I'm not even necessarily talking about part-time employees, but instead employees that have lost or had their benefits reduced to almost nothing. 

Take the case of my friend "Kara" who has a "good", full-time job. The pay has yet to be reduced, but that is the probably the last thing to go.

Here's a list of her benefits package, pre-recession and post-recession:

Pre-recession 401K: Employer had matching contributions.  Now, the employer does not contribute at all.  Kind of takes away some of the benefits of a 401K, doesn't it?

Pre-recession Vacation-Time: 3 weeks, now reduced to to 1 week. Anything else will be unpaid and employees are unlikely to get the vacation time requested due to the already-skeleton staff after the small company laid off much of their staff.

Pre-recession Health Care Insurance: 90% employer paid and 10% employee paid. Now, the reverse is true. She pays 90% of her health care costs. 

Pre-recession Dental: Full Coverage, now eliminated.

Kara knows she is lucky to have a job, though, so can't really complain. Others are taking jobs and are happy to have them even when they are way, way overqualified for them or working part-time jobs when their unemployment benefits run out.