You know the economy is bad when...actor Steve Carell takes a second job at a general store.

Well, not really, the 45-year-old star of “The Office” recently bought the Marshfield Hills General Store. Carell, who plays bumbling boss Michael Scott on the NBC sitcom is a part-time resident of the town on Massachusetts’ south shore.

He put sister-in-law Tish Vivado in charge.

The store’s previous owner, Sherry Bechtold, told The Patriot-Ledger of Quincy that she and her husband, Bob, sold the 155-year-old building and business to Carell after being convinced that he wanted it “for the right reasons.” She said she wanted to make sure the new owner retained the store’s character.