Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

I'm taking a little survey. I'd like to know if the economy is getting any better as far as you can tell in the area where you live.

PLEASE, no anti-Bush, anti-Obama, anti-Washington, anti-anything tirades. I just want to know if things are getting better, staying the same, or getting worse economically where you are. If you have evidence or observations about what is happening right before your eyes, those would be nice. But let us not have this degenerate into a blame game.

buckwheat Loc: Clarkdale, AZ and Belen NM

I'm in north-central Arizona, and I'm not sure. Gas keeps going up. I have told all of my children that if they are unemployed, it is their choice. If they want a job, they will have one. Maybe not a dream job, but a job. I have three granddaughters, one 17 and two just turned 16. They all decided they wanted part-time jobs. No experience. The two 16s went the fast food route and had jobs in two days. The 17 yo was looking where she wanted to work, rather than at places that would hire her. I gave her the same message, she had a job in two days. Is the economy better? I don't think so. Everyone in my family is working and paying the bills, but no one is getting ahead. I'm glad I'm retired. We aren't going back to the '50s, that's for sure.

TonyP Loc: New Zealand

Are surveying The World with this?
Or just your State, Country??

wings42 Loc: San Diego, CA

Here in San Diego, it looks like real estate is in another bubble. The rise in prices in the county from May 2012 to May 2013 was 24% as reported in the San Diego Union-Tribune. Real estate prices here are already way too high for our salaries. As an example, our modest 1400 sq. ft. 1973 bungalow in a lower middle class suburban neighborhood has a current estimated value of around $411,000 (we paid $190,000 eight yrs. ago).

The buzz among my friends in real estate is that Chinese and other foreign multimillionaires are buying up all distressed or inexpensive properties with cash, prettying them up, and then selling at a big profit or renting them out.

Our unemployment and underemployment rate is still high with little improvement. Where are people to live?

We are retired. We can easily sell our home in today's market, but will we be able to buy in a little better neighborhood and still stay in San Diego where our family is?

So, if you're in the market for a home in San Diego the economy is getting worse. If you have money to invest here or if you're planning to sell and move out of the county the economy is getting better.

nafplyr Loc: Chicago

Here in Chicago, I can not say it is getting any better. Not worse really, but certainly not making any sweeping changes.
I work in a service, recreation industry, and the folks are watching what they spend.
I am seeing a lot of empty store fronts as I drive to a from work, and the car lots seem to be advertising a lot of "deals".
If there is any blame to be placed it would be spread out of a lot of years, not just one era.
I think most of the blame is ours for taking our eye off of the ball.
I am however hopeful, this is America and Americans can do anything they set their mind too.
It just takes us a little time to get around to it sometimes.

Singing Swan

Om a recent journey back home to the mountains and foothills of NC I'd have to say they are getting worse. Gas prices have risen to the point it's hard to purchase one full tank without loosing body parts. Every other house I passed in my old neighborhood was under a foreclosure sale. Unemployment rate for my county is still near fifteen percent and showing no signs of improvement. No new businesses are moving in to take the place of all the factories that have closed down and too many people just don't have the option of further education and career changes are not an option for many of the older folks being forced into retirement and onto the welfare lines whether they want to be or not. I moved to a more metropolis area in search of better job opportunities but I am still unemployed as no more jobs are available here than anywhere else. I see no improvements anywhere in my state and they seem to be getting worse in such a gradual way that folks don't notice so much or maybe they'd just rather keep their blinders on and pretend that things are par for the course.

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

The world would be fine. I know, for instance, that things in Jamaica and Ghana seem to be going downhill. The people I know there are finding it more and more difficult to make ends meet as prices go up and salaries either stay the same or go down. What is happening in your part of the world.

ohallboyz Loc: Boston, MA

Can't say it's any better here in MA. Gas and food are expensive, although I know they are worse in other parts. Salaries are not going up, but our expenses sure are! We sit on a good amount of land and we have seen our property taxes double in the last 8 years. There is a food kitchen one town over that mother drives by and she said the line is enormous now. She thinks it's the worst she's ever seen.

My husband's company just squeezes more and more out of him each year with hardly any raise.

We were not this bad off a few years ago. It wasn't until the last couple of years that I really started worrying about paying bills.

Good times!

Richard94611 Loc: Oakland, CA

We seem to be working our way towards another real estate bubble here. House "values" (prices) seem to have increased at least 25% over what they were a year ago. I am in the East Bay -- the Oakland hills. Whatever you have heard about Oakland, it probably isn't true of this area. The views tend to be spectacular and the houses large and of good quality. An apartment with a Bay view in this area, 5 rooms (two bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen + outside garden area and deck, perhaps a total of 850 - 950 square feet) rents for at least $1,500/month, maybe even $1,800.

If someone wants a job, he or she can get one -- but it probably won't be a higher paying one. Gasoline is currently $4.11+/ gallon. If one is a careful grocery shopper, you go to Safeway or Lucky Markets and buy only things on sale that week. You watch the specials carefully. And you go to Oakland's downtown Chinatown, to an Arab market or two, and a few Hispanic-oriented markets, and to Grocery Outlet because they are markedly less expensive for non-sale items than Safeway or Lucky's.

When lettuce at Lucky's and Safeway hit $3/head, I planted my own.

Times here are bad for a lot of people. The Alameda Food Bank, which I visited with a class of students doing public service a few weeks ago, is HUGE. (We spent our time bagging a ton or two of apples for distribution to free food places.) There are three or four places that give out bags of free food almost daily to anyone who stops by.

ohallboyz Loc: Boston, MA

At my husband's company, they are continually trying to whittle down their work force and have the rest of the employees pick up the slack. I'm sure that's happening all over too. The thing is, they also want an increase in overall productivity! So, one person is supposed to do the job of 2 people (or maybe more) and get it done faster? LOL.

Beagleman Loc: Indiana

No.

--Beagleman

charlie Loc: Minneapolis, Minnesota

No. Minnesota (Minneapolis) takes 1 step forward, then 2 steps back.

wilpharm Loc: Oklahoma

not too bad in Okla..Oklahoma is a major oil producing state & as long as oil prices stay over $90 it feeds the economy pretty good...Also beef & grain prices are high....bad for other states but good for Okla,Tex,ND etc...it has been better here but could be a whole lot worse...

mwoods222 Loc: Newburg N.Y,

North east Newburgh NY Thank God I am retired prices are definitely going up groceries going up and packaging getting smaller coffeeI down to 12oz trying to drop bacon to 14 oz. don't eat out as much when I see 3
People ahead of my at the store buying a combined amount of 90 cans of soda I can only say for some they are doing better some like me are breaking even unimportant is a joke if u ended it I wunderkind how many would find work

amyinsparta Loc: White county, TN

There has been several new construction projects here in Cookeville. Unemployment has gone down in the last six months. So, yes, it has improved around 3%, which is way better than all the surrounding counties, which are not doing well at all. They are quite rural and what industry they have shut down years ago. It's really not a pretty picture here in the foothills of Appalachia.