A new Wall Street Journal survey says that a majority of economists think that the recession is over — and that Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke is doing a great job of managing the recovery.

The Takeaway decided to put together our OWN panel of people to test that theory, and to tell us if they think the recession is over. On our panel of recession experts this morning are both old friends and new: Jim Svetz, an owner of a wine bar in upstate New York; Greg Goodnight, the Mayor of Kokomo, Indiana; Cliff Hagedon, a trucker in Florida; and Kelly Evans, from the Wall Street Journal.

This week we’re marking The Takeaway's one-year anniversary by checking in the people who have been, in many ways, the backbone of the show. We’re not talking about the newsmakers, we’re talking about the folks who have been living the news. From the plummeting economy to the Presidential election, we’re returning to those who gave these big national headlines a very real and personal voice. We’re kicking off the conversation with entrepreneur Jim Svetz. We first met him last September. He was the CEO of Muddy Cup, a small coffee house franchise in upstate New York. He was dealing with hostile bankers, an uneasy partner, and customers who had financial jitters. And back then economists weren’t even confident that we were in a recession. Jim joins us from Beacon, New York with an update.

We also are checking back with Jesse Acosta, a student in the Class of 2009 at the Yale School of Management. As a veteran of both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars he is used to surviving in tough times. And all his hard work has paid off, because he has a job lined up for next year. He joins us with his take on the mood on campus.

The Takeaway is looking at the economy through the eyes, webcams and cell phones of Americans. Watch the stories and add your own.

Today the unemployment numbers for December will be released. The projections are grim: economists expect unemployment rates to rise to a 15-year high of 7.0 percent. This is a reality that President-elect Obama did not sugarcoat yesterday when he addressed the nation and it’s economic forecast. In the first major speech since he won the election, Barack Obama acknowledged the unemployment crisis and stressed the urgency of passing a robust economic stimulus package. Joining us to discuss the ailing economy, the unemployment crisis, and Obama’s approach to both, is Kelly Evans, a reporter for The Wall Street Journal, Christopher Hayes, the Washington Editor of The Nation, and entrepreneur Jim Svetz.

Don't miss part two of our economic roundtable.

UPDATE 8:47 a.m. ET: Unemployment rose to 7.2 percent in December 2008. Listen to The Takeaway's coverage.

Jim Svetz founded a coffeehouse franchise in Upstate New York. Now he's out of a job.