Jobless claims are at a 26-year high. The stock market swoon has wiped out trillions of dollars of investments worldwide. Mounting foreclosures are creating a glut of unsold properties that are driving prices lower.

But children sitting on the laps of Santa Clauses this Christmas season are blissfully unaware of the economic uncertainty swirling around the country right now.

Veteran Santas across the Denver region report that in flush and lean times alike, boys and girls tend to ask for the same amount of presents.

"Most kids are insulated from what's going on," said Gary Gokey, who has been a Santa for 12 years. "Most of them are still asking for the high dollar amount stuff . . . sometimes you'll get a 7- or 8-year-old boy who rambles on with everything he wants, and I'll look at his parents and say, 'Whoa, Santa needs a bigger sleigh.' "

Among this year's most popular requests, according to an informal survey of Santas: the Nintendo Wii, Legos Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica sets, Bakugan Battle Brawlers and anything related to Hannah Montana.

Regardless of the economic times, the most affluent kids and the poorest kids tend to ask for only one toy apiece, said Tom Googin, a Santa for more than 20 years.

"Of course, the child from the very rich family may ask for a horse and the child from a very poor family might ask for only a Barbie," said Googin. "It's the kids from the upper-middle class down to the lower-middle class who tend to ask for a lot, and I've never seen that change."

Santas themselves aren't immune to hard times this year, either. John Shager said he's seen a record number of cancellations as companies and chamber of commerce groups revise their budgets for holiday events. There's also a flood of new competition as amateur Santas post cut-rate deals on Craig's List.

"Everyone is beating us up on price," said Gokey, who has had on occasion to slash his rate by half this season to keep an engagement.

But just like parents, Santas are careful to conceal their financial concerns from children as well.

"We are human and have our good days and bad days, but when you're in that Santa suit you can't have a bad day," Gokey said.