Our friends at Michigan Radio and PRX have put together an hour long special on the state of the economy, illustrating the crisis through the stuggles of individual Americans: 

Since late 2007 America has been in an economic crisis. From a story about a family living on a beach, to a former GM employee looking to downsize his life, to a teenager weighing options for after high school, this one hour newscast compatible documentary explores how people are finding the strength and situations that get them through economic hard times by presenting personal stories and intimate portraits alongside contextual interviews and reports. Jennifer White is the program's host. "Finding Our Bootstraps: Americans Deal with Recession" was produced at Michigan Radio and showcases work from independent and station-based contributors to PRX.ORG - The Public Radio Exchange.

You can hear the whole program online or download the mp3 at the link above.