Grateful I wasn't laid off today

[chloe0724]

They laid off 13 people in my office today and 600 across the nation in my division. I am grateful I wasn't one of the unlucky. I am very sad to say good bye to so many friends. When is this going to end?

[TEW]

They laid off 13 people in my office today and 600 across the nation in my division. I am grateful I wasn't one of the unlucky. I am very sad to say good bye to so many friends. When is this going to end?

I happy you kept your job. I wish I knew when it was all going to end.

[bk4sky]

my company has been laying people off like crazy, lucky im still there, i take it one day at a time. im very sorry to hear you were laid off

[Flamingo]

No one is immune in this economy from losing their job. It's awful to see people you worked with for a while get let go and there really isn't anything that can be done. It's the trickle down effect and if you look back at the Great Depression, you will recall seeing photos or reading of the long lines of folks out of work in soup lines and selling pencils and fruit on street corners. Today those out of work folks can use eBay, Craigslist, etc. to help keep afloat however they can. The layoffs will still occur for a while so it is best for anyone working now to make themselves indespensible at your job and don't do anything to bring attention to yourself (i.e., taking too much sick time, coming in late, leaving early, etc...) in the hopes you will keep your position if there are rumors circulating as to cuts in your area. There have been so many layoffs in the building in which I work that the cafeteria downstairs had to close due to lack of patronage and bad sales and now I get the really prime parking spaces that were never available due to the large number of folks working for other companies in our building. It's a big wake up call and it could happen to anyone. The key is to realize that it can happen to you and to be prepared.

[JRScott]

Things most likely will not improve in the short term. Unemployment could rise as high as 15-20% in the next year I think. I do not think Obama's plan will work, basically its a short term flux in which long term we'll have to pay higher taxes to repay it and extend the length of the recession.

They've cut back hours at my work to, let a couple housekeepers go. Only 4 were staying at the Inn last night, always slow in the winter but seems slower this month than I remember the last couple Januarys.

[blankslate]

I'm sorry to hear about the lay off. We went through that in September. They laid off 1/3 of our staff and then announced that they are closing down 37 offices and concentrating on 13 "hubs" nationwide. Our office is closing in March. I made the cut, but it's been grim coming into work every day and not seeing the faces that had been there for 10+ years.

[Genenco]

We were told Freightliner laid off about 2,000+ people nationwide and more to come what with them moving to Mexico.

This has shot alot of the business we do (But we were losing it anyway) and so now the race is on to try and fill positions where people who made a bit more then the average operator, are taking operator jobs to stay employed.

[southernbelle]

I feel so fortunate to have a job right now. I think closing my business was a blessing in disguise. I work for the state and to my knowledge we've never had massive layoffs, but we do have a serious hiring freeze due to budget shortfalls. We are trying to cut back by "freezing" vacant positions.

If I lost my job, I would probably try a home bakery business to make ends meet, but re-zoning in my neighborhood would be impossible to get licensed through the State so it would be illegal, but worth the risk if it was my only source of income.