As is the the case in most things, it's not quite that simple. I am one of the doom and gloomers. The conflict is most evident between two views offered by the BLS household and establishment surveys.
The household survey of employment suggests to many that millions of jobs have been created. The establishment survey says hundreds of thousands of jobs have been lost. There are tons of anecdotal evidence on both sides.
Regardless, there is little doubt that millions of Americans are bearing the burden alone as our economy slowly adjusts to "globalization." Fine. That's life. Many are working at lower paying jobs or part time looking for full time jobs. This satisfies the mainstream Republicans' "jobs is jobs" crowd. Meanwhile dem Rats make much of the troubles. It worked for them in 1992 -- with 24/7 help from the mainstream media.
So, I for one am NOT "extrapolating one trend into the whole field of vision." I know that 90 percent are doing from just Okay to very well indeed, thank you!
But I am tired of seeing the one trend (the ten percent) get bashed by the Limbaugh-Hegecock-Sullivan "conservatives" as being the cause of unemployment because they are too lazy to go back to work. I've heard all three men say it.
People didn't move from the farms to the factories over a weekend. It takes time. Give those bearing the burden some slack. But no! It's a dynamite schadenfreude high gawking at their troubles, isn't it?