State of the Economy

[IrishLake]

Considering I was laid off from my job 14 months ago, have only had 6 interviews since then, and haven't been offered a single one of those jobs... It's worse for me. Up until the last year, I was offered every single job I had ever interviewed for. But now... it's horrible. And my expertise is in such a limited field, it's very hard for me to convince people I can do something other than that.
I have a BS, 7 years of impressive professional experience... and can't find jack. I apply for jobs I'm not qualified for, and I'm told I'm not qualified. I apply for jobs I am qualified for, and I'm told I'm over qualified. I look for jobs by networking with former co-workers and subcontractors, online searches, and recruiting agencies. My resume and cover letter have had major overhauls after talking to some resume experts.
I've been told by someone who manages a retail business that people outside my field wont hire me because A:my former job position sounds intimidating, that I should dumb myself down a bit, because no one will hire someone they perceive as being smarter than them; and B: places outside of my field know that if they hire me, and I am offered something later on within my field of expertise, I will likely leave, and that will be a waste of time, training, etc for them.

so for me... "my" economy sucks. my only other idea is to go back to school and get some sort of bachelors plus certification, or my masters. but... i'm broke and have a shit-ton of student loans as it is... i wont be able to get anymore.