Fortune has an article that Generation X (those age 25-35, approximately) has experienced the worst career reversal seen since the Great Depression. I'd argue the game isn't over yet, but it's true that I'm stunned how many of my friends have been laid off at least once, over the past few years -- and many of them graduated from Ivy League (or better, heh) colleges. It's tough to see this happen to the people who most bought into the promise of education -- work hard, go to a good college, have a great career. My hope remains, however, that this game isn't over yet. Those who were positioned best before the current recession (depression?) will be ready to take advantage of the bounce back -- if our student loans don't crush us first.
" Now that the thrill ride is over, Gen X's plight seems particularly bruising. No generation since the Depression has been set up for failure like this. Everything the dot-com boom delivered has been taken away--and then some. Real wages are falling, wealth continues to shift from younger to older, and education costs are surging."