Survey: 4 in 10 laid-off Americans say dismissal was blessing

Richmond, Va. A survey commissioned by SnagAJob.com and conducted by IPSOS Public Affairs found that among the roughly 14% of Americans who say they or their spouse/significant other has been laid off since December 2007, a total of 39% said that the layoffs have been a blessing in disguise.

Meanwhile, an additional 26% 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, the survey found that 27% have since found another job that they say is better.  For many of those laid off (21%), their dismissal was the impetus for going back to school. And 16% 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 a 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.”