Banks are especially shy of sectors that have a particularly bad record, such as the construction industry and agriculture.

ECONOMIST: Mexico: Buddy, can you spare a peso | The

It has bad actors in both the private and public sectors and on either side of the political divide.

FORBES: The Incredibly Shrinking John McCain

Thursday was bad for almost everyone, but the biotech and materials sectors suffered the most.

FORBES: The Biggest Losers

There is still an inter-bank credit crunch across Europe and all three sectors - consumer, banks and governments - are still overwhelmed by bad debt.

BBC: Europe: Back from the brink

It has reduced its bad bank loans by more than half, and reoriented the financial and other sectors to more of a profit-driven, shareholder-conscious way of doing business.

FORBES: Magazine Article