Last month the official arbiter of economic cycles, the National Bureau of Economic Research, declared that the 2001 recession lasted a mere eight months, one of the shallowest slumps since World War II. Tammy Swales begs to differ. In October, the 36-year-old lost her job when the Rochester, N.Y., nonprofit she ran reorganized. With a resume that also boasts a master's in education and eight years of teaching, Swales thought she'd have no problem finding another job, even if it paid less than the mid-$60,000 salary she once enjoyed. Despite sending out scads of resumes, Swales has managed to score only a handful of interviews--and no job offers. She strives to remain upbeat, but, she says, "it's getting hard to be positive."