In Face of Adversity, Laid-off Americans Find Silver Lining

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. June 29, 2009

JUNE 29, 2009 - Four in 10 say dismissal was blessing in disguise, SnagAJob.com survey finds displaying a perennial optimism that is perhaps characteristically American, four in 10 U.S. workers who recently have been laid off themselves, or are a significant other to someone who has, now believe getting the ax was a blessing in disguise.

According to a just-released survey, commissioned by SnagAJob.com and conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs, among the roughly 14 percent of Americans who say they or their spouse/significant other has been laid off since December 2007, a total of 39 percent said that the layoffs have been a blessing in disguise. Meanwhile, an additional 26 percent of those who do not yet see it as a blessing expect that the layoff will eventually become one.

Of those who were let go from their jobs since the start of the recession, almost one in three (27%) said they have since found another job that is better. For many of those laid off (21%), their dismissal was the impetus for going back to school. And 16 percent said that they are now pursuing a career they have always wished for, which may include starting their own business.

'Whether or not you see it coming, finding out that you have been laid off can be difficult, and it can seem like the end of the world,' said Shawn Boyer, CEO of SnagAJob.com, a Web site for hourly jobs, and author of the new book Help Wanted & Help Found: The insiders' guide to recruiting and hiring hourly workers. 'But as this survey bears out, there is often a silver lining. What is important is that you seize the opportunity to make the most of it, and quite frequently, it compels you to make choices you might have been reluctant to make all along.'

Thinking back to when they were first informed about the layoff, most laid-off Americans reported having felt worried (35%), angry/upset (25%) or even depressed (17%). However, once the initial shock subsided, half (49%) used the time to reconnect with family and friends. Thirty-six percent chose to focus on their personal interests or hobbies, while others (16%) devoted more time to volunteer work.

The layoffs also left many (28%) feeling better prepared to handle the next obstacle that life throws their way. Many survey respondents also reported positive changes within the household since the layoff, including learning how to get by with less (62%), spending more quality time together as a family (38%) and developing goals as a family (36%).

'It's hard to be optimistic in a tough economy, but those who look for the silver lining are coming out of the experience stronger and happier than ever before,' Boyer said. 'It's important to take a step back, reassess your career and family priorities and put a plan in place to get you where you ultimately want to be.'

Survey Methodologies

For the survey, a nationally representative sample of 584 Americans who have been (or whose spouse/significant other has been) laid off since December of 2007 was interviewed by telephone via Ipsos' U.S. Telephone Express omnibus from April 16 to May 18, 2009. With a sample of this size, the results are considered accurate within +/- 4.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, of what they would have been had the entire population of adults in the U.S. been polled. The margin of error will be larger within regions and for other sub-groupings of the survey population. These data were weighted to ensure the sample's regional and age/gender composition reflects that of the actual U.S. population according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.