America's job and housing markets are stuck. What if that's the new normal?

Getty Images; Alyssa Powell/BI Waiting for a better job or housing market? You could be waiting a while. Hiring is near Great Recession lows, while home affordability is near its worst in decades. If this is the new normal, Americans may have to rethink their career and housing plans. If you've been waiting for a better time to find a job or buy a home, brace yourself: Things might not get much better anytime soon. Two years ago, I wrote about an economy divided between Americans who'd locked in jobs and homes when conditions were favorable versus those who didn't. The hiring boom had become a hiring slump, while mortgage rates and home prices had both risen considerably. Two years later, finding a job or buying a home hasn't gotten much easier, outside of a few pockets of opportunity.