It’s been nearly 2 years since our economy self-imploded. So how far have we come since then?

As far as our industry goes, it would appear that things are headed in the right direction. After a horrible 2009, hiring seems to be picking up across the board and clients seem a tiny bit less terrified than they were a year ago.

But when you look at the national numbers, they seem to paint a different picture. Unemployment is high, home values are still way down, banks aren’t lending money and consumers aren’t overly confident.

And yet our political leaders seem oblivious (on both sides). There seems to be little sense of urgency in getting people back to work.

Now I know this is an advertising industry blog, so you may be wondering where this is all going.

Well, here’s the thing. At some point this has to bite all of us ad folks right in the wallet, no?

If people don’t have jobs, they don’t spend money. Last time I checked, our livelihoods pretty much depended on consumers opening their pocketbooks.

Now I don’t pretend to have the answer. Then again, I don’t get paid to solve the country’s economic problems.

But unless someone solves them, a lot more of us won’t be getting paid at all.

- TJ Bennett