Layoffs and new jobs

There are 3,000 people who are projected to be laid off at the weapons labs in the next few months.

Ignoring the thoughts about what this layoff will do to the current ability of the workforce to make milestones and ignoring the crushing effect that this layoff will have on the ability to attract younger workers, what will happen to those laid off.

Tradition says that they will be forgotten or ignored by those who still have jobs. The laid off will become "The Disappeared."

But what about each laid off person. What happens to them?

Most of the laid off are 45 or older. Most of the laid off have never written a competitive resume. Most have never applied for a job other than the one they just lost. Most have only done classified work and can't talk about it. Most want to stay in the locale in which they now live. They have not lived anywhere else in a long time.

There are two likely scenarios for the laid off. In the first scenario, the laid off retreat to their houses, husband their resources, drink heavily and hope that things will change for the better locally. This is the scenario that has occurred in many towns across the US.

The second scenario, after the grief and anger, is that, one by one, people pick up their lives and find rewarding new lives.

As Yogi Berra said, "When you come to a fork in the road, pick it up."

Cheers