Post layoff job search

[Anonymous]

Curious for those who were laid off in the last two years, how long did it take you to get a new full job? It took me six months in 2025. At the time it felt like a long time, but now I feel lucky I didn’t have to take a pay cut.

[Anonymous]

Laid off last summer, had an offer before I even got my severance check. Friend of a friend connected me with her former company. I would likely still be looking were it not for her.

Six months is not too shabby. Front desk girl at my barre studio just moved home to NY with her parents bc she had been looking for over a year.

[Anonymous]

You're very fortunate.

Everyone I know who was laid off never recovered.

This is why I want to stay in my government job until I die. I hate it so much, but I know I'll never find anything nearly as good.

[Anonymous]

7 months during the Great Recession.

I was 40 and had a 3 year old and a 1 year old.

[Anonymous]

How did you survive? Did you have savings? How did you find the new job?

[Anonymous]

In January 2022, it took me 3 weeks for a VP role. Yes, I was very fortunate. New job was light years better than the one I lost.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you survive? Did you have savings? How did you find the new job?

Me during 2010. My husband remained employed. We have always lived below our income level. We cut daycare back 40%. I found my job through LinkedIn recruiting and a corporate website. It actually was a bad fit. Within 2.5 years I went back to my former employer as a contract employee. At that point, the recession was over. It had hit my industry and state very hard.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How did you survive? Did you have savings? How did you find the new job?

OP: I had savings and unemployment coming in. Just found the job on LinkedIn and cold applied. Applied to a few hundred jobs. Did next to no networking because I was so embarrassed to be unemployed.

Now I’m saving up again for my emergency fund. I realized the only thing that can make me feel comfortable in the workplace is having enough savings to live awhile without a job. I’m not sure how long it would take me to find a new job if I lost this one.

[Anonymous]

Laid off in August 2025 and still looking....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Laid off in August 2025 and still looking....

Same here. My child and I are about to be homeless if I don't find something ASAP.

[Anonymous]

Same here

[Anonymous]

Looking since November layoff, no bites. We'll exhaust savings in 2 months, then can take a retirement withdrawal to cover a few more months. If nothing by that point, we'll sell and move somewhere far less expensive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:In January 2022, it took me 3 weeks for a VP role. Yes, I was very fortunate. New job was light years better than the one I lost.

The job market 3 years ago was completely different. Everyone who looked then and now will tell you it's fundamentally changed.

[Anonymous]

Laid off in April 2025. Took me 8 months to find a job with a substantial pay cut and a long commute.

[Anonymous]

Spouse laid off in Aug, 2025. Still looking. I am employed, but we cannot afford our current mortgage on one income, long term. With severance (now run out), plus stopping my 401k contributions, and now a tiny bit of unemployment, we are staying afloat. Can maybe go another year by living very tight and taking a little from retirement if needed. However, difficult decisions are going to need to be made if it drags on longer like downsizing... Which would include at least one kid changing schools.

I hate Trump and his tariffs as, Jan BLS report aside (which will probably be revised down) he has single handedly killed jobs since becoming president. 2025 revised nonfarms annual figures are abysmal. Businesses cannot plan or figure out how to operate with so much turmoil. I keep following the ADP payroll reports as well and the economy is not doing well. I hope the Jan BLS.report today is a sign that things are getting better, but not optimistic that numbers are accurate.