Some people are finding new work while others are struggling. 9NEWS set out to find some of those stories in the heart of Denver on the 16th Street Mall.

Linda White landed a job with the city of Denver. She had been unemployed until a month ago.

"My son was happy too," White said. "Because there were times we couldn't go out to eat, or we couldn't splurge."

In fact it was pretty far from splurging. White says she had to get on food stamps to make it through. She went back to school and it all worked out.

It's been a roller-coaster ride.

"But it's all good," White said. "It builds character."

White feels for her fellow students, who are struggling to get work in the fields they chose.

If that sounds bad, imagine how hard it is for an ex-con.

"Well, I've been homeless off and on for the last few years, because I haven't been able to find work," Cortley Lolley said. "I haven't been able to find a nice apartment, because I'm a felon."

He says he's lucky to work washing dishes, a job he just landed six months ago. With a little more income he hopes to turn things around.

Chris Roach also feels lucky. He works at a bank downtown.

"I've been there for the last 2 1/2 years," Roach said.

Before that, it was tough. Despite the unemployment rate dropping below eight percent, he thinks the job market is still tight.

"I really feel it's been about the same," Roach said.

We met people that you don't learn about in a jobs report.

Kira Maixner is over-employed. She works two jobs: one at a restaurant and another at a store downtown. But she'd rather have one job that kicks off her career.

Maixner graduated in 2010 hoping to get into marketing.

"I just could not find anything. It's been really difficult," Maixner said. "I just had to pick up any job just to make ends meet. They're not horrible [jobs] but they're not what I want to be doing with my life."

Still, she sees hope among her friends.

"They had to take the kinds of jobs that I've been doing, just random things that would pay the bills. And then finally things are starting to open up," Maixner said.

Like a lot of people, Maixner is still on a journey to get where she wants to be.

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