Pressure wears many hats in the tri-state area.

Exhibit A) Work: New York's unemployment rate is 7.9% (the national rate is 5.9%). "Mass layoffs" is as common a term on CNBC as "Chapter 11." The pressure to hold on to one's gainful employment is higher than ever for young people.

The rent goes up while the space gets smaller. Losing a job could mean dubiously defying the old saying, "You can't go home again."