A Nation Engaged: Is This Still A Land Of Economic Opportunity?

Darren Holly steers coils of steel through Pentaflex, a manufacturer of parts for heavy trucks, in Springfield, Ohio. Darren Holly steers coils of steel through Pentaflex, a manufacturer of parts for heavy trucks, in Springfield, Ohio. Americans who endured the brutal 2007-2009 recession and slow recovery now are seeing an economic sunrise: Wages are up, jobs are growing and more families are lifting themselves up out of poverty. And yet, dark clouds are still hanging over millions of Americans. No set of sunny statistics can help an unemployed coal miner in Kentucky pay the mortgage.