good news---there will be an increase in jobs and consumer confidence this year--
That's up to debate. Health care reform will probably result in a high loss of jobs in the private sector and an overall net loss of jobs when you through government in there. AT&T already announced that health care will cost them $1B. So, that's either higher costs for us as consumers or lower costs (fewer employees) for the business. I seriously doubt they are going to just accept lower net earnings. And, that info is not from Fox News--it's from the CBO, CNN, US News, Americans for Tax Reform, Heritage Foundation, and many others. Look for that 9.7% national unemployment rate to rise over the next 12-18 months. Until our government starts employing policies that create jobs, we will not see a true recovery.
By the way, my orders have increased each month this year, and we're looking for them to continue to increase. Foreclosure filings in our area have increased 15% since February even if banks are only completing the sale on about 20% of the postings.