As the recession in Vermont continues to wear on, social service providers are seeing a new trend: middle income families who are turning to state services for the first time.

Vermont lost 52 dairy farms last year. Farmers were struggling with low milk prices long before this economic downturn. But they're also affected by the economy around them. VPR's Mitch Wertlieb speaks iwth Onan Whitcomb of the North Williston Cattle Company.

18 months into a recession that's affected almost everyone, some small businesses are poised to grow - while others will have to reinvent themselves to survive.

Vermont has a troubling rate of underemployed workers - people who are in temporary, part-time jobs, often without benefits. And in this economy, even an advanced college degree may sometimes not be enough.

When people are out of work, one place they seek assistance is their community action group.

Although about 20 percent fewer people work in the state's factories than did just five years ago, some companies have announced expansion plans that would create dozens of new jobs. But it could be months or more before anyone is hired.

In Vermont's cash-strapped Northeast Kingdom, many workers often hold down two or three jobs. Last year many were laid-off. Now, people in the Kingdom are starting to find work again, but many are making less money, doing jobs for which they are overqualified.

Many people looking to build a home will first visit a bank, and for many it's their local bank. But is there money out there for prospective homeowners to build or even buy a house?

All this week, we'll hear how people have been faring lately. We begin with a look at the building industry - an area that's been one of the hardest hit by the downturn.

All this week, we'll hear how people have been faring lately. We begin with a look at the building industry - an area that's been one of the hardest hit by the downturn. Many carpenters, contractors and lumberyards continue to struggle, and their future is filled with uncertainty.

In Bennington County, which has the third highest unemployment rate in Vermont, a company called Plasan North America is expanding.

The economic downturn has meant that many high school and college students faced a tight job market this season. But as VPR's Lynne McCrea reports, federal stimulus money provided some young Vermonters with better-than-ever work opportunities.

Summer is the busiest season for weddings in Vermont, among locals and out-of-state couples alike. But some who make their living on these celebrations have found that weddings have changed in the middle of a recession.

Vermont is one of only two states in the nation that doesn't have any banks that took bailout money from the federal government. The other is Montana. One reason is because Vermont banks are so small.  

By the end of August, about 250 workers at the Ethan Allen Furniture factory in Beecher Falls will be out of work.  In this economy, and in this remote corner at the juncture of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Canada, the prospects for re-employment are especially slim.

Recent national economic news has raised hopes that the recession is moderating and better days are ahead, but there's still plenty to be concerned about

Today, we begin a series that shows just how real the economic downturn is and how it affects everyday people. VPR's Ross Sneyd examines how the recession that began on Wall Street has spread to Main Street.

A few displaced workers in the Northeaast Kingdom are doing what may seem like the impossible in these dark days. They're starting their own businesses. VPR's Charlotte Albright recently met one of them in St. Johnsbury.  

Today as part of our Hitting Home series, with charitable and corporate giving  down, VPR's Nina Keck reports on the fight to save a landmark arts center in Rutland.

As part of our series on the economy, VPR's Steve Zind visited one longtime family auto dealership worried about staying in business.

Some businesses are bucking the economic downturn, choosing to expand despite the uncertainties. VPR's Ross Sneyd caught up with a couple of business owners that are banking on an economic rebound.

We return now to our occasional series on how the recession is affecting Vermonters, with an update on Meghann Cline. She's the mother of 3 young children who's been homeless since last fall. The economy has made her situation even worse.

Just about everybody is feeling the pinch in this recession. But imagine if your paycheck was cut in half while your expenses stayed the same or even went up. That's what's happened to many dairy farmers. Milk prices have dropped 50 percent in the last few months.

The economic downturn that began in the fall deepened into a recession that some compare to the Great Depression. As VPR reported in a series in February, jobs were being cut, incomes were falling and the recession was Hitting Home. So now, six months later, what's changed?

VPR's "Hitting Home" series looks at how the recession is affecting Vermonters.  Now we'd like to hear from you.  Tell us what changes you've had to make to adjust to these hard economic times.