by Mathew Katz

As fun as charts are, a more visceral take on job market is what you folks are feeling on the ground. We got this story from Pam Chozen, of Bloomington, IN:

I'm an advertising copywriter who got laid off (along with 40 percent of agency) in April. Since then, I've been applying to at least three agencies a week but have only gotten two interviews so far — UNTIL THIS WEEK. I'm just about to do my third phone interview of the week, and I've also gotten two new freelance gigs in the last 24 hours. It really feels like the ice has broken, except I am not at all sure whether to trust it.

We'll likely hear more from Pam on today's podcast.