It wouldn’t be easy I can tell you that

Depending on what “worse than 2008” means, I’d just switch to plans B and C.

Always have backup plans.

With all these kids and wife who end her contract next month when the next kid is due, I’d have 60 days before I’d have a real problem.

I looked up one of my friends and noticed I could not find him in our email system.  No longer with the company.

Had to hit him up via LinkedIn.  Turns out he was terminated, for performance reasons.  My company does that, when they need to reduce headcount and are not having a planned layoff wave anytime soon.  We typically do layoffs in July.

I could pay everything off (mortgage, car, a bit of CC debt) and have enough to get by for a couple of years.

Honestly wouldn't even start looking for something new for a year or so.

28, no wife, no kids, and not in the slightest. Depending on how much stuff I cut out I could bum around for a few years even.

I’d definitely be pissed tho, I like my job.

I worked all my life from 18 to retiring at age 62 in the Oilfield.

I was laid off from Roughnecking in 1985.  I had started in the oilfield in 1978.

We had been married a little over 3 years and was poor.
We had just had our first born son.

We moved back to East Texas to be near both sets of Parents.
I think it took me about 3 months to get another job.

But as it turned out, it was a blessing because I moved from the Drilling Industry to Building, Starting Up and Operating Sour Gas / Sulfur Plants and this led to me getting on with a major megaoil corp.

Looking back, being laid off and changing direction to getting into Engineering/Construction/Operations was a crucial fork in the road for ms gamboolgal and I.

But at the time, it was terrifying and I remember that I felt so helpless and frustrated.  I was willing to do anything to take care of my young family.  The not knowing was hard.  I did not sleep good and was in a bad mood - I remember that even though it was near to 40 year ago.
I would not wish it on anyone.

Had it not been for family, we would have had it much harder.

It is a terrible feeling to be a young Dad and not able to have a job to support your family.

I am pretty sure that going thru that made me much more better able to calm myself down the rest of my career when I would get pissed off and think about quitting - I would remember back to not have a job and how I felt and that would put things in proper perspective.

I was never laid off or quit a job ever again - looking back now, it was a good experience that I would not want to go through ever again.

I feel for every man who wants to work but is unable to work.  

To everyone who is laid off now, especially you young men with young families -  hang tuff and try not to get depressed.

I would feel a sensation of relief wash over me.

Worse than 2008?  You mean "housing crisis"?  I doubt anything would be impacted honestly.  Have plenty of savings, house is paid off, no debt and no need to move.

It would suck. But I would be able to get something even temporary. House is paid for. So that makes it a little less stressful.

username checks out.

Fucked, got a baby on the way and would lose health insurance.

Taxes would suck but we'd get by while I dial up my side hustle to 11. Would probably take me a couple of months.

It might actually be fun.

I'm in about the best possible position for that scenario, but for a different reason (about to move for work).  My lease has been converted month to month, my stuff is all in boxes ready to move (to storage in that scenario), I'm sitting on cash to buy a house, and I could easily enjoy 6 months driving around the country in my overland truck.

As the weather started to cool off next fall I'd probably get in touch with my contracting agency friends and take a job wherever they had work.

I should have already signed up for disability but I'm just not built that way.

But at 62 with my health, I might go ahead and do it under the circumstances in the OP.

I have no debt and I'm ok financially. My main issue would be health insurance until 65.

i'm a bit of a rolling stone myself.

wood love to take off for a year and just bum around merica.

check out all the cool shit i've never been able to see because i've been busting my ass at work for decades.

If we got serious our savings would last us a year if my wife kept working. She is a teacher so she doesn't make much, but we could use her insurance for the family. It would be an adjustment but we wouldn't go hungry or lose the house. If we were both laid off we be fine for at least 6 months. I have an eviction on a shitty tenant right now and another rental than needs a roof so the rentals would probably break even for the year.

In reality I would have a new job before the ink was dry on my termination papers.

I'd be okay.

Screen name nailed this post

I would collect unemployment and retire 6 months early...