The modern way of making a living is financial chicanery and using borrowed money in a myriad of very creative ways.
The old fashioned way of making one's living was "making stuff to sell".
The credit crisis means that borrowed money will be a lot less available. For now to the consumer, but later to the government as well.
I expect that the old way will return back, which means, surprise surprise, a bigger emphasis on "manufacturing" and likely "metalworking".