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Stacey Vanek-Smith: It seems a lot of us could use a little liquid courage these days. Workers in this country are not feeling good, according to a Workforce Development Survey out today from Rutgers University. It found confidence in the job market is at it’s lowest level since the 2001 recession. And a third of workers surveyed said they aren’t earning enough to make ends meet.

Employers aren’t feeling much better about things. Today the U.S. Chamber of Commerce releases its top list of economic priorities. Danielle Karson takes a look.

Danielle Karson: The government needs to turn around a sagging housing industry; improve the credit market and lower energy prices. But that’s not all.

Marty Regalia: Making sure taxes stay as low as possible; increase our education skill level, that we address the infrastructure shortages; that we address the entire energy issue, which we have failed to do.

That’s the Chamber’s chief economist Marty Regalia. He says one big priority is extending the Bush Administration’s tax cuts. But Michael Ettlinger, an economist with the Center for American Progress, says someone has to pay for all those reforms.

Michael Ettlinger: The idea that you’re going to improve education; make investments in infrastructure, while also having tax cuts is pretty naive.

Both Regalia and Ettlinger do agree that Congress is unlikely to do much until next January.

In Washington, I’m Danielle Karson for Marketplace.