The reality is, as usual, better and worse than the headlines, which average out the details to give you a 10,000 foot view. Some sectors of the economy (education) are holding their own. Also undiscussed are the 14.5MM US workers over age 60 (my estimate). Just like the deaths from a natural disaster include people who happened to die of natural causes at just the right time, there is a gray zone of indeterminate size in all of these layoff stats. How many of the 1.5MM jobs lost in Dec'08-Jan'09 were due to "natural" or "slightly accelerated natural" attrition, aka retirement?
Very few employers have the luxury of burying their heads in the sand until it all gets better (and with the USPS talking about reducing service, even the government workforce is getting the message that change is afoot), and companies that can't stand still need FTEs to move forward.
Case in point, the spreadsheet of sunshine, which is documenting tech positions in the broader economy and broader positions in the tech economy. There is no doubt that the next year or two will be brutally darwinian at all "market cap points" on the corporate food chain, but scroll through this list and you'll see almost all industries and firm sizes represented. Whatever your tolerance for risk, chances are you can still find opportunity.
Outside of technology, particularly in construction and retail, the pain is acute, and I won't even attempt any pat words of advice or cheap comfort as my expertise decays rapidly outside of technology. If your career in one of the harder hit sectors has gotten knocked down in the past year, please comment or contact me with details on how you've responded to your situation. I'd love to post (anonymous) stories that might help other readers facing a similar trial.
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