Turns out nobody wants to weather a recession alone. The New York Times reports interest in off- and online dating is way, way up.

While traffic typically peaks in the new year (will not be spinster!), the rise dating sites and matchmakers are seeing can only be compared to one other year — 2001, the last recession.

Of course, numbers only go back to 1994, and online dating has become more acceptable. But even if love is not in the air, other economic factors are. Experts (um, that would be owners of dating sites and services, sociologists, and their ilk) agree these sort-of-obvious factors, which all boil down to living with less, are at play:

• The under- and unemployed have more time to be online
• Online dating is a relatively inexpensive way to meet people
• Organized dating events are cheaper than going on a multitude of first dates
• With less money to go out, people spend more time on the Internet

But there is something more substantial going on in our collective consciousness: People don't want to be alone. They also aren't as interested in money, which could be a boon for those in the market for substance over salaries.

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