Facing major budget problems, governors around the nation are proposing cuts to education, health care and state employee benefits.

• Interactive Graphic: States in crisis
• Protesters rally against anti-union bill

One of the defining features of the Great Recession is the magnitude and duration of unemployment. These stories depict the crisis for workers and explain the pressures that have stalled the creation of jobs for them.

• Interactive Graphic: Unemployment rate by county
• Long wait for work
• Autoworkers struggle with declining salaries

During the housing boom, millions of homeowners got easy access to mortgages. Now, some lenders have discovered many mortgage documents were faked, forged or otherwise mishandled.

• Thousands of foreclosures are put on hold
• Interactive tool: Find out how much mortgage you can afford
• Share your foreclosure stories

Washington Post coverage of the tablets, cameras and other new technology unveiled at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

• Gadgets galore at CES

• CES gadgets target moms
• FCC chair tours CES, plays Kinect

The Washington Post ranks the top Washington-area businesses in 2010.

• Archives: 2009 Post 200
• Archives: 2008 Post 200