Guardian: Coming soon to Middle Britain: The Doldrums

a sudden slowdown in a property market that until then had seemed on a never-ending climb. Not only have prices started coming down but buyers and sellers are staying away from the market in droves. For shops and businesses reliant on the property market this can mean only one thing - a sharp slowdown in turnover and a subsequent fall in profit until many will shut. At this point in the circle the doors of the local job centre start swinging. Forced to wait for work or take lower-paid jobs, the people going through these doors will start to struggle with their repayments. Red credit-card bills will appear on people's mats, while missed mortgage payments will quickly lead to more repossessions!