After losing their jobs, some Americans have been able to rebuild their careers after slight adjustments to their job descriptions.

This Thanksgiving, we want to know what you are thankful for. We speak with two listeners who we have talked to before. Both were hit hard by the recession, and ask them what is worth giving thanks for this year. Cynthia Norton recently found a job as a caregiver after spending months unemployed. Last year at this time, she was sitting in a park with her dog wondering where she would go. She had no home, no income, and felt helpless. This year, Norton will be having dinner with the landlord of her new home. Lyndon Dees is still seriously underemployed.

As Washington battles it out over the deficit and the August 2 deadline to raise the debt ceiling, there is another important economic discussion happening across the country. Last week, the unemployment rate reached 9.2 percent, and by the end of this year money for many jobless benefits will disappear. As lawmakers haggle over the debt ceiling in Washington, are they failing to address the jobs crisis?

Later today, President Obama heads to Western New York as a part of his “White House to Main Street” tour.

He is scheduled to tour Industrial Support, Inc. and talk with employees from the small manufacturing company in downtown Buffalo. This comes on the heels of Wednesday’s announcement by Senators John Kerry (D-Mass) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn) to unveil a long awaited energy bill that they hope will create millions of energy related jobs throughout the country. 

So while jobs are at the top of Washington’s agenda, the question we’re asking is: What happens to those people whose job skills are for positions or industries that are becoming obsolete?