Same Crisis, Different Voices: Typical Wall Street Workers Lose Jobs, Not Hope

Oct. 24, 2008— -- Emory Edwards is doing more volunteer work at his church. Maribel Ruiz is spending more time with her daughter. Win Hornig and his girlfriend have started a blog.

For each, things were different a few months ago, when they all had jobs.

The three are among the growing number of Americans who are stuck trying to make the best out of a bad situation: unemployment. More than 760,000 people have lost their jobs so far this year, and 47 states this week reported that their unemployment rates were higher over last year.

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It's only supposed to get worse. Analysts at the financial firm Goldman Sachs predict that the national unemployment rate will rise to 8 percent from 6.1 percent by the end of next year. Goldman Sachs itself is planning to slash more than 3,200 jobs, according to published reports. Meanwhile, the comptroller's office for New York City, the heart of the country's financial sector, has projected that the city will lose 135,000 jobs in the next two years.

Edwards, Ruiz and Hornig all worked in New York City. Like the top executives of some of the country's financial firms, they can trace their misfortune directly to the country's financial meltdown. Unlike top execs, however, they can't rely on multi-million-dollar golden parachutes to carry them through tough times.

ABCNews.com talked to Edwards, Ruiz and Hornig to learn more about how they're coping, their plans for the future and their thoughts about the crisis that cost them their jobs.