For Lawrie Covey, right, and millions of other unemployed workers, life remains a day-to-day struggle. Instead of working on RVs in a factory, she may soon be living in one. Full story
The recession is a sprawling national story, but its effects are local and personal. Few places have felt this more than Elkhart, Indiana, one of the earliest U.S. cities to fall into recession and one of the worst hit by job losses.
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There are signs of recovery in the nation's heartland, but the rebound is faint, uneven and faces many threats.
For Lawrie Covey and millions of other jobless, life is a day-to-day struggle. Instead of building RVs, she may soon be living in one.
This is a 40-month story of a decision — of 234 workers, one company and countless consequences.
Each year, 1.8 million freshmen head off to college, like Elkhart's Alexa Sieracki.
Msnbc.com will follow Elkhart graduates as they make their own way
In Elkhart, Ind., and elsewhere, education is a new priority, experts say
Nuclear site cleanup creates boom in Benton, Wash.; Elkhart wonders where the jobs are. Full story
Tracking stimulus outlays and results -- big and small -- is fast becoming a hot cyber parlor game. Full story
With U.S. companies reaching out to foreign partners, some of the stimulus is trickling abroad. Full story
Elkhart may be a harbinger of deadly increases in other hard-hit areas. Full story
England's Burton-upon-Trent has seen its core business, the brewing industry, decline. But it found a way to adjust to changing landscape. Full story
Immigrants, chiefly those here illegally, are particularly vulnerable as the recession lingers. Full story
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