The Great Recession ended years ago, but New Jersey towns continue their battles to craft a balanced budget. Still recovering from the worst housing collapse since the Great Depression, mayors and local governing bodies attempt to provide as much as possible for as little as possible.
A Federal Reserve survey has found that the Great Recession shrank Americans' wealth so much that in 2010 median family net worth was no more than it had been in 1992 after adjusting for inflation.
Affected by the deep recession and the slow rebound from it, many businesses in New Jersey and nationwide have not been as friendly and lenient with their traveling employees.
New Jersey's economy has "decisively" come out of the recession, but the comback will be modest because of ongoing problems in the United States and global economies.