I can't really tell because where I live is economically depressed and has been for a long time so things really didn't get much worse here other than the local government's trying to say that they are burdoned due to the economic down turn. They just use that excuse to not give us County Workers more money.
It's hard to tell but I don't think it is. More people are getting laid off here and there is not enough government money to go around for unemployment, etc. I think these are bad times and a lot of people want it to seem better than it is.
I also think that they want to portray it as being better especially since we spent all this money on bailouts and still the job situation isn't getting better and more and more people are STILL losing their jobs and foreclosing on their houses. I guess some people like rose colored glasses...
