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Bleak Economic News Makes Job Hunters Even More Nervous

BOSTON (CBS) - For people who have been job hunting in an uncertain economy, the uncertainty of the last few days has made them even more nervous.

The concern is employers will now have a wait and see attitude about hiring, and for those who've been on the hunt for sometime, it feels like a setback.

The bills keep coming in for 24-year-old Diana, piecing together part-time work while job hunting to pay them. "I don't want to get more discouraged than I already am. I've been trying for a couple of years to find the right fit for what I'm looking for," she said.

WBZ-TV's Beth Germano reports

She was laid off from her first job two years ago. Now the daily grind of bleak economic news adds to the jitters, as she hunts for human resources jobs on a myriad of sites, worried employers will tighten their belts.

"I'm hoping what's happened the last few days doesn't stall job hunts for people like me."

How the volatility of the last few days will affect the job market is unclear. Job counselors like Margie Boone, who've seen a slightly brighter unemployment picture, remain hopeful. "For some positions the hiring process has started and I don't think that will come to a screeching halt with what we've seen happen over the last few days," said Boone.

Diana is not so sure, nearly hired for a position that was suddenly downsized. "A week and a half after the interview and follow-up they called me and notified me they were no longer going with that position," she said.

She's faced her own highs and lows in the process and now is more focussed on updating her resume, not watching the rise and fall of numbers she can't control. "It's added to my stress. I want to get a job I'm proud of and excited about."

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