The number of job losses in the retail and service sector as well as the hotel industry is very distressing and really does demonstrate the role that Sept. 11 played in increasing unemployment.

One of the most provocative things we found was the share of student costs covered by loans has fallen even as the amount of loans has increased.

The main reason for women's declining labor-force participation rates over the last four years was the weakness of the labor market. Women did not opt out of the labor force because of the kids.

So far, the debt payment ratio (of loan payments to income) hasn't been higher this decade than during the 1990s, but it's been partly held in check by lower interest rates. In some sense, we haven't seen the whole burden bearing down yet.

Statistically speaking, the chances of moving up (the) income distribution (curve) is less than it was a decade ago. Students with debt face real concerns with the shrinking middle marketplace.

The reality is that the overwhelming majority of women are working and they're going to be part of the labor force for a long time. While they may choose to take time off, they're doing things that women in '60s weren't doing.