PRX has created several playlists–each containing multiple radio pieces–related to the recession. Try these on for size:

• Scraping by:  The Great Recession has exacerbated the effects of poverty. These pieces offer a glimpse into the world of those who live on the edge, surviving any way they can.
• Dealing With Debt – With both individuals and nations running record fiscal deficits, a look at the history and concept of debt. Novelist Margaret Atwood, former Comptroller General David M. Walker, a cowboy poet, and average citizens from three generations all weigh in.
• Job and Unemployment – How has the worst recession since the 1930s affected the employment market and people’s relationship to work? Plus some particularly insightful and informative looks at different types of workers and their struggles and strategies for getting along.
• The Economy: An Historical Perspective – Take a look back at unemployment, financial panics, strikes, popular entertainment, and jobs to understand just how much has changed — and how much hasn’t — in the American economic narrative.
• The Economy: The Big Questions – The ethics of capitalism, the wisdom of regulation, and the future of retail are some of the macro-topics discussed. Both fierce critics of capitalism and those who believe business can and must play a big role in fostering a more ethical society are represented here.
• Health Reform – health care and the impending reform legislation wending its way through Congress
• Coping With a Shaky Economy – pieces on a potpourri of topics related to these perilous financial times