newshour economics correspondent paul solman has our report. it's part of his ongoing reporting series, "making sense of financial news." >> it's a little guy that went in a store, and more carousel horses... >> reporter: c.e.o. steve guy of entertainment design group in atlanta, where the economy still looks as scary as some of the props they manufacture. >> that's a mannequin we put there. we have laid off so many people that it's a little lonely around here. >> reporter: so, how many people did you have here at the peak? >> about 75 full-time and about 300 part-time. >> reporter: really? and what are you down to, at the moment? >> right now, were down to 42 full-time and around 100 seasonal. >> reporter: guy's company sells everything from shopping mall holiday displays to theme park attractions. it produces atlanta's annual tree lighting ceremony, and the dropping of the sweet georgia icon that marks the local new year's celebration. and yet, the hiring situation is, if you'll excuse the expression, not so much peachy as in the pits. >> big

more of merle hazard's satirical recession songs on paul solman's "making sense" page.tate of the union address. you can watch a tavis smiley special report on secretary of state hillary clinton, who has completed her first year on the job. >> you see how tough the job is. oh, i want to end where we can you imagine yourself doing all four years, and if asked, doing it for another four years? >> no, i really can't, i mean, it is just... >> no to what, all four or eight? >> the whole eight, that would be very challenging. >> sreenivasan: then, you can watch the president's speech live on your pbs station, or on our web site. we'll have analysis as well as a place to post your own comments and reaction videos. we also have a conversation with dante chinni of patchwork nation on president obama's popularity in different communities across the united states. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. gwen? >> ifill: and that's the "newshour" for tonight. i'm gwen ifill. >> lehrer: and i'm jim lehrer. we'll see you on-line and here later tonight for the president

. >> suarez: now, we taka second look aa report from our economics correspondent paul solman. in january paul wento san francisco to ask some of the nation's leading ecomists why they fled to predict the economic meltdown. it's part of his ongoing reportinon making sense of financial news. financial -- wned for a decade oirrational exuberance, and entual bust to the housg and stock markets. >> s prices were going up, up, . and it seemed like it woul never end, rht? >> it must have seemedhat way. i don't know h people can belie that. th just can't go up, up, up, and end up in the rat here. >> this was a ground touof san francisco with bob schiller and nobel laureate bob ackeroff king a brk from some 10,000 colleagues in wn for the yearly economics conveion to wch we had come to ask one questi. why didn't y, the economics profeson, warn us? why didn't the fed tell ? >>hy didn't we warn you. >> yes. >> we collective or me personally >> well,ither one. >> repter: many said they had sounded the alarm bu that in good times no one listed. especiallyf there is a good story on thother s

much easier to -- >> lehr: paul solman reports on why small business aren't increasing their hing. >> woodruff: plus, theeekly analysis omark shields and david brooks. >> lehrer: that's all ead on tonight's "pbs newshr." major funding for the pbs newshour is provided b >> lehrer: more americs losing jobs, and even more ging up hope of findg them. that was the gist of decembes unemoyment report. jeffrebrown has the story. >> brown: e labor department numbertoday fell well short of hos in some quarters that the economy might havedded workers at t end of 2009. instead,5,000 americans lost theijobs last month, led again by hits in the constction and manufauring sectors. thunemployment rate held steat 10%, but that's becausmore than 660,000 people gave up oking for work. president obama cited th numbs this afternoon, as he announced w spending to create jobs in newable energy. >> t jobs numbers that were reased by thlabor department th morning are a reminder that the road to recoverys never straight, and that we ha to continue to rk every single y to get our economy moving again. for most

. >> woodruff: paul solman takes a real estate tour in atlanta with two experts on housing prices. >> there's reasons to believe it will stay down and there are reasons to believe it's going to come back. that's why you economists drive people crazy. you do understand that. >> absolutely. >> ifill: ray suarez has the story of american doctors and nurses helping to rebuild haiti's shattered health care system. and the obama administration gets an "f" for its ability to respond to a biological attack. >> ifill: that's all ahead on tonight's "pbs newshour." major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: bank of america >> what has made grant thornton a truly global accounting organization, with access to resources in more than 100 countries? is it their global capabilities, or is it their passion for how they serve their clients? grant thornton >> this is the engine that connects abundant grain from the american heartland to haran's best selling whole wheat, while keeping 60 billion pounds of carbon out of the atmosphere every year. bnsf, the engine that connects us. chevron. this is

and on paul solman's "making sense" page, nobel prize-winning economist paul krugman weighs in on howthe u.s. should approach financial reform. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. jeff? >> brown: and that's the newshour for tonight. i'm jeffrey brown. >> suarez: and i'm ray suarez. we'll see you online, and again here tomorrow evening. thank you, and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> what the world needs now is energy. the energy to get the economy humming again. the energy to tackle challenges like climate change. what if that energy came from an energy company? every day, chevron invests $62 million in people, in ideas-- seeking, teaching, building. fueling growth around the world to move us all ahead. this is the power of human energy. chevron. and by the alfred p. sloan foundation. supporting science, technology, and improved economic performance and financial literacy in the 21st century. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadc

on paul solman's "making sense" and margaret warner blogs about the obama administration's concerns overnother possible wave of refugees from the haitian earthquake. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. judy? >> woodruff: and that's the "newshour" for tonight. i'm judy woodruff. >> lehrer: and i'm jim lehrer. we'll see you on-line and again here tomorrow evening with mark shields and david brooks, among others. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> what the world needs now is energy. the energy to get the economy humming again. the energy to tackle challenges like climate change. what if that energy came from an energy company? everyday, chevron invests $62 million in people, in ideas-- seeking, teaching, building. fueling growth around the world to move us all ahead. this is the power of human energy. chevron. when someone you count on is not responsive, bad things could happen. grant thornton believes it's important to be responsive, through direct client access to our partners. grant thornton. >> and by the bill and melinda

newshour economics crespondent paul solman went on a ur of atlanta real estatwith the men who developed the inx. it part of his reporting, "making sense of finanal news". >> reporter: reaestate broker ennis antoine, taking o of americas top exper on housing ices-- economists karl case and robe shiller-- to a velopment minutes from downtown atlanta. how many bedrooms? >> three bedrooms, twoaths, granite, hdwood floors, stainless steel pliances >> so the are really nice places? >> very nice pces. >> reporter: 16 ry nice places in a very nasty market. woodlawn estates, a would- gated community, broke gund in 2005-- thetlanta market taking off. ju a year later, phase one was done. local demand at that pnt? unhinged. >> the wheels came off thehird quarter, june of '06. that's wn everything started falling apar people stopped payintheir mortgages, they weren't qualifying, foreosure inventory wentp. and that's when everybody realized, whoa, ybe the credit was too easy for most pele. >> reporter: so only two of e 16 units sd. buennis antoine's been betting on the $8,000 federatax credit, exteed

sreenivasan: you can pose questions about the economy and a potential recovery to economics correspondent paul solman on his "making sense" page. and we catch up with jeffrey brown, who is at the sundance film festival, where he's a juror on the documentary review panel. all that and more is on our web site, newshour.pbs.org. judy. >> woodruff: before we go, an editor's note about the toyota recall story we aired last night. we received letters from viewers asking for more information about what to do if the accelerator sticks while driving. here's a fuller explanation, as recommended by toyota: to stop immediately, step on the brake pedal with both feet and apply steady pressure. don't pump the brake. shift the gear into neutral while pressing the brake to make a controlled stop, then turn off the engine. if the car won't shift into neutral, shut the engine off by turning the key, but don't remove the key. doing this will disable power brakes and steering, but toyota says that manual steering and braking control can still be maintained by the driver. if the car uses a button for ignition, press the

senivasan: you can pose questionabout the economy and a potential recoveryo ecomics correspondent paul solman on his "making nse" page and we catchp with jeffrey brown, w is at the sundance film festival, where he's juror on the docentary review pane all that and more on our web si, newshour.pbs.org. ju. >> wdruff: before we go, an editor's note abouthe toyota recalltory we aired last night. we received letters fr viewers aski for more information about what to do if the accelerator sticks whi iving. here's a fler explanation, as recoended by toyota: totop immediately, step on the brake pedal with both feetnd apply steady pssure. don't mp the brake. shift thgear into neutral while pressing t brake to make a ntrolled stop, then turn off the enne. ifhe car won't shift into neutl, shut the engine off by tuing the key, but don't removehe key. dog this will disable power brak and steering, but toyota says that manual steing d braking ntrol can still be mainined by the driver. if thear uses a button for ignitionpress the button steadily for at ast three secos to turn the engine off. fothe record, t

you can ask paul solman your questions about the health of the economy on his making sense page.-line and again here tomorrow evening. thank you and good night. major funding for the pbs newshour is provided by: >> what the world needs now is energy. the energy to get the economy humming again. the energy to tackle challenges like climate change. what is that energy came from an energy company? everyday, chevron invests $62 million in people, in ideas-- seeking, teaching, building. fueling growth around the world to move us all ahead. this is the power of human energy. chevron. >> what makes us an engine for the economy? plants across america. nearly 200,000 jobs created. we see beyond cars. intel. supporting coverage of innovation and the economy. >> and by bnsf railway. the national science foundation. supporting education and research across all fields of science and engineering. and with the ongoing support of these institutions and foundations. and... this program was made possible by the corporation for public broadcasting. and by contributions to your pbs station from view