Breathing a Sigh of Relief

I often wonder how it has become such a norm to hear that a business is downsizing yet again and to see yet another business go under. Last year it seemed as if another one bit the dust every night only to leave behind an empty office space or shop window and ex-employees nervously trying to figure out where their next paycheck was coming from. We all know at least one person who fell into this category (and yes that did include myself).

In the beginning when we heard a close friend or mere acquaintance had been let go due to company restraints we rushed to tell them it would be okay. We are here for you. We'll let you know if we hear of an opening. But as time went by the shear number of people we know found themselves set out of the daily grind, our sympathy seemed to be less and less needed or even expected.

I for one always tried to keep an upbeat response to the whole situation. If you did some freelance work like I did then you weren't unemployed, just "underemployed". Or if the contract work wasn't there then you were "practicing for retirement" or "working toward your trophy wife (or husband) certification."

As time wears on and various industry's continue to be hit by ripple after ripple of our economic downturn, I've seen a different mentality being adopted by numerous people who find themselves taking a hiatus from their employment. Oddly enough, anxiety seems to be giving away to sighs of relief. As more companies siphon off a few employees here and a few there, people spend their mornings dreading the coming hours of the work day and their days developing ulcers and worrying "Will I be next?" or "what can I do to save my job?". When that ax comes down to severe their employment cord it's accompanied by a whoosh of air as victims finally gain some sense of certainty.

To me, it's a strange and slightly unsettling new norm. Will we continue to find relief in unemployment and what does that mean for our job market?