Job loss casts a dark shadow over individuals, their families, and communities. A layoff can have serious economic consequences, the most obvious of which is the loss of steady income. Though many are eligible for unemployment benefits as they search for another job, those benefits eventually expire and do not fully replace lost wages. Many workers who have worked for a single employer for decades find that they have a set of unique and specialized skills that cannot be easily transferred to another job, even in the same industry. Individual and family health benefits, retirement funds, and long-term wealth all take a substantial –oftentimes irreversible– hit.