but economist dan greenhaus says there is no evidence a different outcome in the 2008 election would have led to a stronger economy. >> it's totally unfounded. would we be better in certain respects, sure. but we'd be worse in other respects. and in the larger sense, the economy would be more or less right were it is because, again, the unemployment rate is 20% in the construction sector. what would be different with a different president and different policies? nothing. >> reporter: also out today, a downward revision to the university of michigan's consumer sentiment index. it still showed a gain for the month. scott gurvey, "nightly business report," new york. >> tom: here are the stories in tonight's n.b.r. newswheel: wall street welcomed ben bernanke's pledge to support the economy. the dow jumped 165 points, the nasdaq added 35 and the s&p 500 was up 17 points. trading volume edged up slightly from yesterday's pace on both the big board and nasdaq. >> tom: standard & poor's ratings service said today, while it thinks the worst is over for the banking sector, it doesn't see a qu

economist dan greenhaus notes that eight and a half million people lost their jobs in the recession. >> even using the most optimistic forecasts, it's going to be several years before those people who have lost their jobs can return to full-time work. and that ignores new entrants into the labor force-- immigrants, people turning 18. when you include all of these people, as they work... become of age or come to the united states, we're talking it could be the middle of the decade, if not a touch later, before we start seeing unemployment's rates that americans have become accustom to in normal times. >> reporter: still, manpower's joerres says, for workers willing to learn new skills, there are industries with jobs to be found. >> those that have manufacturing businesses that are contributing to capital expenditures as companies try to improve their productivity and efficiency. those that have value brands, whether they be on the retail or service side. they're booming, actually; they're moving along nicely. it's just that there's this bifurcation. this isn't a tide that lifts all bo