Is it growing, yes. The signs are visually evident, but just to back it up with some numbers, the population increased almost 10% between 2000 and 2010.
With regards to the recession, it's definitely been hit, but can I say it's as bad as bad gets? Probably not. There are always job listings and places hiring in Poughkeepsie, even if the options aren't all the most appealing. Further, because the population growth of the area over the last few years has been so steady, new businesses are still coming in. The malls and restaurants in the area are doing pretty well and though there are some empty buildings, I've seen worse.
Unemployment here is at around 8.4%, but that's as of a few months ago. That's a little below the state average but it's still sub-optimal.
