1st link is a descriptive qualitative article, short (3 minutes to read it) & very easy reading, non-technical that describes the overall situation in larger perspective.
2nd link is to series of 7 easily interpreted charts that shows the nature of the recession's effects quantitatively with perspective over time dating back at least a decade and up to 3 decades.
Both provide a real picture of where we're at ... despite what you may be hearing from wall street economists about the stock market's optimistic projections, 2011's prospects, etc. For example despite all the newsworthiness of the few weeks in mid-late Dec & Jan of the huge reductions in unemployment claims, this was pattern no different than the pattern in 2009... it's a typical year-end thru Jan unemployment claims pattern.... yet the media (wall street's machine) made it sound like it constituted the "turnaround" was at hand... kind of a "don't miss the train now leaving the station" replay.