You have to look at the nation as a whole...some areas are stagnant, some are on the downside, but many are up...it depends on location and industry segment.
Todays economy, you must be willing to retrain, think outside the box, and move to where the opportunities are.
The economy is good and there are jobs. I work in the Oil and Gas sector...it is crazy hot, a friend of mine works for a DOD contractor, that is crazy hot, another does work in real estate...that is booming.
Your reality aside, you must be willing to look at where the boom is to understand that there is one...and there is one.
In Hoc.
No. To be blunt about it the only economic indicator I care about is my pay stub. It is flat. And no matter how you want to sugar coat it many are feeling the same way. You can put lipstick on this pig and it is still a pig.