Financial Finesse senior planner Greg Ward writes more about why the deficit matters and what you can do to help protect yourself from its consequences.

FORBES: What the Federal Budget Deficit Means For You

Greg Ward, of the council's economic development unit, thinks investors had been put off by the city's high employment rate, which stood at just over 80% of the working-age population in 2008.

ECONOMIST: Looking for an upside to the downturn

CNN's Ric Ward, Janet DiGiacomo, Greg Botelho and Henry Hanks contributed to this report.

CNN: STORY HIGHLIGHTS