Caught in the Web: Displaced and Talented

It's a tough time to be an American worker, but an even worse time to be out of work. About 15.3 million people are unemployed—and their distress has not been eased by so-called economic "recovery." Yet many of these displaced workers are startlingly productive: this recession has launched a virtual boom in blogs, many dedicated to the topic of unemployment itself. Since so many journalists and advertising industry folks are among the jobless, many of these blogs are expertly executed: they're attractive, informative, and a pleasure to read.

Some provide news, statistics, and analysis of unemployment, lightly seasoned with personal reflections. Recession Wire (http://www.recessionwire.com) includes a feature called "Screwed"—a daily roundup of news about the "employment fallout around the country and the world." Unemployment Statistics (http://unemploymentadvice.blogspot.com), in addition to helpful data, reports "nuggets" of news: for example, a bit that notes Maryland's lack of unemployment offices—and the consequent hassle in collecting any unemployment benefits.

Others focus on layoffs, reporting which companies are giving out pink slips, and how many people are affected. Layoff List (http://www.layofflist.org), in addition to chronicling layoffs, recently reported the shocking reality that a bad credit report can keep you from getting a job. Jobless and Less (http://www.joblessandless.com/layoff-tracker-dont-bother-sending-your-resume-here) maintains an ongoing, though not comprehensive, list of layoffs nationwide. Some online news organizations are also tracking this information. Reporter Jim Edwards of BNET, for example, keeps an "Ad Agency Layoff Counter," and readers can e-mail him tips on layoff news in the advertising industry at http://industry.bnet.com/advertising/1000433/bnets-ad-agency-layoff-counter. But it's important to remember that all information about layoffs can be sketchy; companies often announce layoffs to intimidate the workforce, and then don't follow through.

A few of the blogs eschew traditional reportage, aiming instead to cheer fellow sufferers with a bit of dark humor. Stuff Unemployed People Like (http://stuffunem-ployedpeoplelike.com)—the title of which is derived from the successful Stuff White People Like—often mines the ambivalence that some of the unemployed have about finding a job. After all, these days, any new job will likely pay about the same as their unemployment benefits, and provide considerably less leisure than unemployment. One post instructs the job seeker on how best to sabotage interviews: show up hungover or intoxicated, and "wear inappropriate clothing that screams, 'I don't care.'" Unemploymentality (http://unemploy-mentality.com) has a feature called "Can't Read? We Have Videos" and some terrific photos, including one of a cheerful-looking woman in a pink leopard-print leotard with a bunny tail, holding a sign that reads "Out of Work Prostitute: Will Work for Food."

Other sites tell job seekers' personal stories. The Wall Street Journal's website has a feature in which MBAs chronicle their job searches: http://blogs.wsj.com/laidoff. This site offers, for many readers, schadenfreude—pleasure in the fall of the privileged, many of whom work in finance, the industry responsible for many of our current economic woes. At less formal sites, readers contribute their own tales of displacement. Fired for Now (http://www.firedfornow.com) and How I Got Laid Off (http://howigotlaidoff.com) have sections where readers can contribute their layoff stories. One software programmer is laid off the same day that he receives one of the best performance reviews in company history; per company policy, management is then not allowed to give him a letter of recommendation. Some combine service with personal reflection: Pink Slips Are the New Black (http://pinkslipsarethenewblack.com) offers tips on Early Bird Specials in restaurants—and the writer's musings about why she keeps dating guys who are unemployed just like herself.

Not Just Hot Air

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