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by mr_tristan 996 days ago
Yep, laid off in the aftermath of the 2000 crash. Not immediately but the company didn’t get funding and cut almost everyone.

It hit me hard at first, but I was very young, just out of college, and adjusted quickly. The market was dead for a while, and I ended up being rehired after 6 months to sweeten the startup right before acquisition (for pennies on the dollar - this startup was seen as a success because it didn’t just fold).

The biggest aftermath is the mental shock of losing employment. I definitely got depressed due to the uncertainty of, well, everything. And when there’s a general glut of people searching, even being contacted by a prospective employer turns into a gamble. There’s a hopelessness that can set in that takes its toll.

I haven’t found much of a stigma from it, socially or professionally. There’s a pretty decent chunk of people who have been unemployed at some point due to a layoff.