The good news is the economy's coming back slowly. The bad news is that it is *slow*.
In a slow economy, companies fund line positions – positions that directly affect how well the company can complete its projects. The company may need staff positions, such as process improvement or administrators, but they won't fund those positions. So, don't look for a staff position.
If you have an objective, make sure you mention a line position, if you mention a position at all. If you mention a staff position, “Technical lead in process improvement,” the hiring manager is likely to throw out your resume without looking past the objective. Hiring managers have huge numbers of resumes to read. If the hiring manager sees a staff position request, they'll throw out your resume. It doesn't matter if you can help them complete the project faster. They don't know that, and their prejudice is that you'll slow the project down.
So make sure your objective points to a line position. Show the value of your work to that line position. Then, go get 'em tiger!