The news is not so great. Job losses have replaced Job growth, job cuts and layoffs have exceeded five million jobs in the united states alone, and it is happening all over the world as well. It looks like the so called ’secured job’ many of us have been enjoying is a thing of the past.

Let’s investigate how jobs were created in the first place, your involvement in the process, why layoffs appear, and how to react if you were a victim of a job loss in during an economic downturn?

The normal routine for most of us would be as follows: Every day you either get to work either early, on time, or even sometimes a little late. You start work productively, and then at the end of the day you go home happy with your accomplishments.

Ultimately this gets your boss’s attention. He is amazed to see you happily generating so much output while working without any supervision. He thinks perhaps with a little guidance you would generate much more than without! But he has no time to guide you. He recruits an experienced supervisor who is also excellent at writing reports. A new job is created, thanks to your dedications.

The new supervisor's first intelligent decision is to set up an attendance system. Also, he is in need for a secretary to help him in prepare his production reports. He recruits a secretary to manage the archives and answers his phone calls. Thus a new secretarial job is created within your department.

The boss is delighted with your supervisor’s reports, he request’s him to produce tables and charts to illustrate growth rates and to analyze the market so he can use in at the board meetings.

To get the job done, your supervisor has to reward himself with a new top of the range computer and a laser printer but he has no idea how to install them. So he recruits an IT manager who can manage this high tech equipment at your department, and a new IT manager position is created.

You, who had once been so productive, realized that you’ve been left behind of any recognition and you start to hate this new system of paperwork and regular meetings which uses up most of your time!

The boss detects a plunge in performance and reaches a decision that it is time to recommend someone to be in charge of your department and set things right. You get a brand new manager who is highly experienced and who is in need of a comfy chair and a desk for his new office. Thus another new managerial position is created in you department.

Your new manager is also in need for a new computer and an executive secretary. He purchases his new computer and promotes a friend and a coworker from the other department to help him prepare business plans, annual reports, meeting schedules and plan strategies. Accordingly, a new executive secretary position is created and another position is left vacant in the other department. (Which will be occupied very soon – with someone's nephew who is in need for a summer job since school is out).

Now your job consists mainly of paperwork, it is similar in its nature to the work of a letter carrier, and your genuine production has dropped significantly.

Then over a cocktail party your new department manager convinces the boss of the absolute necessity to expand the business and dominate the market. After the boss reviews the department’s costs, he finds out that profit decreased and production declined.

The boss recruits a major prestigious business consultant to investigate the reasons behind the plunge in productivity and to recommend a way out. With the new business opportunity a new position is thus created.

The newly appointed consultant visits your department manager a few times and your manger convinces him that the department is running fine. After a couple months the consultant comes up with a report, in quite a few volumes, that conclude: “The department is overstaffed.”

Guess who the boss lays off first?

You of course, because you have become unproductive, showed a lack of enthusiasm and have a negative attitude towards your “superiors”.

If you have been one of those unfortunate and got laid off recently, here are some tips to help you survive in an economic downtime.

• Think positive and stay optimistic for the future.
• Don't stress yourself about things that are not under your control such as the economy, layoffs, and job cuts.
• Reduce your exposure to the media. It adds anxiety to your life.
• Only look for good news headlines and look for job opportunities.
• Stay away from anxious and negative people.
• Avoid social conversations that talks about job juts and layoffs.
• Don't indulge in negative thinking. Think positive.
• Appreciate yourself for all your successes regardless how small they were.
• Say thank goodness, I’m able to work; I'm healthy and I will overcome this small obstacle.
• Laugh and keep smiling and your problems will go away.
• Start doing something different like exercising, eat healthy, and do something to get your mind off your job loss and expand your horizons. Take a course!
• Keep in mind that you’re luckier than other people with whatever you have left.

During an economic down turn, Layoffs aren't the right answer and companies are making the economy worse by cutting too many jobs. Companies and high level managers find it an easy and quick way out to protect their jobs and justify their fat salaries. Wouldn’t you agree?

Express your opinion; share your thoughts or experiences below or read more.

• Mules of Economy
• How to Fix the World Economy?