First I'd better say that I HAVE NOT been laid off.
But a good friend of mine was. During my time here in California, I have worked in the 3 major departments of a contracting firm: Superintendent, Project Management, and Estimating. It was in the last of these areas that I felt that I had made some very good friends.
Due to the extremely competitive nature of the current construction market, my company has been bringing in a several people to help with the project bids. Wednesday and Thursday this week, they asked me to come in and help. Over those 2 days I was working with the estimating department and socializing with several of my friends.
Last night I received a text message from one of them saying that a good friend, one of the senior estimators, had been let go shortly after we handed in the bid.
My company has let go of several people over the last 4 months because we have not had any new work to put them on. But this was the first person that's been let go that I knew well. For the first time this whole economic thing became personal. It was the first time that it went from being "on the news" to "up close and personal."
I'm reasonably sure that I don't have anything to worry about (knock on wood), but this recent news shook me up quite a bit.
I hope everyone fairs OK in this crisis. And if this $1 gazillion bailout bill passes, lets hope we see some results (hey, for all of that money something had better happen).
