BLOOMINGTON -- Twin City officials and professionals are not worried that Bloomington-Normal garnered national attention as communities that could struggle because of economy woes. | How local congressmen voted | Stock market update | Financial crisis lea

Twenty-one-year-old Michael Buettner has Down syndrome, but more importantly, he has a job. It's a job he likes and is good at. It's a job that tests his creativity, patience and work ethic.

Restaurants, the countries largest employer of minimum-wage workers, are being swamped by a perfect storm of factors that could submerge their bottom lines and drown their employment roles.

Research has shown that the share of employment and sales accounted for by small businesses tends to be more cyclical than for large ones, meaning they often bear the biggest burden when times get tough.

Story By Teresa Carter Posted on Thursday, September 25, 2008 at 10:59 a.m. Some small business owners are closing their doors due to the bad economy and getting another job.