By MyFox National
LOS ANGELES - In these tough economic times, many are turning to the Internet for help. 

People who have lost their homes and/or jobs and are in need of economic stability are placing ads on Web sites such as Craigslist as a last resort.

Craigslist has gained the reputation as a barometer for the economy. The site provides free job listings, housing and real estate listings, and many other listings.

Some have used Craigslist information to predict the state of the national and local economy by analyzing user behavior and posting trends in some key categories. The number of posts for jobs available/wanted reflects usually corrolates with the actual trends reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Now the site is seeing a new trend of listings from desperate people trying to keep their heads above water.