Ugly Employment Figures

See here.  The other factor no one talks about is job security.  I would guess at least half of the people I know, in LA at least, don't have what I would consider basic job security.  That is to say, they are vulnerable for unemployment in the next 1-6 months due to job-to-job contract renewals, freelance lifestyle, companies in bad shape, or underpayment/low wages (also called underemployment).

People talk about the psychological aspects to unemployment - especially long term unemployment - it would not surprise me to find similar problems with poor job security.  It makes things like buying big purchases and family planning difficult.