Despite the common wisdom that layoffs do not help anything but short term numbers, employers continue letting people go. Clearly, as per robot trader behavior, so goes the thinking of HR management. So many Americans are seeking complete career changes as a means of staying competitive in an increasingly cutthroat environment. With limited funds, generally higher education is not an option leading many to seek vocational training for jobs most people generally wouldn’t have considered in the first place. Of course, others simply seek to change their fortune by winning the lottery. Some surprising revenue results reported by state lottery agencies reveal that its likely that cash strapped governments will ramp up their lottery programs even more, preying upon the economically downtrodden further.

This article was edited after publication by the author on 27 Jan 2009. View changes.