The economy is improving; Thank God. There are lots of tangible ways to track market growth.  When unemployment rates fall, and the stock market thrives, it’s easy for onlookers to assume that things must be getting better. But with something as all-encompassing as the economy, mere numbers and stats aren’t enough. When the economy falls, people feel it in their every-day lives. Friends get laid off, parents can’t afford their childen’s education, and there is a general feeling of “…fuuuuuck” that everyone can sense. Luckily, that pendulum swings both ways. And as the economy improves, there are small signs of victory that you should look out for. Such as…   1) Minimum-wage jobs have minimum-wage people working in them again Two years ago, my buddy and I went to the local McDonalds. There, a friendly 30-something lady took our order with grace, and threw in a couple free ice creams because “she felt bad for taking too long”. That experience convinced me that the economy was fucked. That lady should NOT have been working fast food. And in 2004, she probably wasn’t. When the economy stutters, over qualification becomes the norm. CEO’s become managers; m