Where's the bottom?

Now, as the housing downturn lengthens here and nationally, other indications are that it's not just the real estate market that has slowed down. It's the economy. And it's not just people who need to sell their homes who are feeling the pain.

Peralta and others who were laid off say many jobs advertised in the newspaper don't pay enough. ''If I find a job that paid $10 an hour, I won't even consider that. I can't,'' said Peralta, who is collecting unemployment and playing chess to relax. Peralta's former colleague Bill Snyder, who logged 25 years at the plant, said, ''I would need two full-time jobs like that to pay my bills.''