Voices of the struggle

Wendy Boyer
Wendy Boyer was one of more than 100 employees laid off at the Ainsworth oriented strand board factory in Bemidji this year.
MPR Photo/Annie Baxter

Many of us are probably hoping the new year will bring better news in the economy. In 2008 we experienced one of the worst recessions on record.

While some managed to get by unscathed, many Minnesotans struggled. They lost jobs. They faced a tough housing market brought about by foreclosures and tightening credit. They saw retirement savings shrink as the stock market tanked.

Minnesota Public Radio business reporter Annie Baxter talked to some of those people over the past year. She pulled some of their voices together for this retrospective.

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