I work in the patch, and yes there was a lot of downturn last year...but it could have been a lot worse. Up here, I think the hardest hit was the transplanted workers that moved here in the last 5 years. I know a lot packed up and headed home for a cheaper cost of living. The thing that saved a lot of companies and enabled them to press on though was the constant development of technology, which lowered the cost to produce. I know it saved my arse, and the other guys I work with...we haven't actually had a slow down at all, but that's just one guy
