Have you considered moving, traveling, or going overseas for work? I did a lot of overseas work in the 90's and made a pile of money doing it. There is work out there, but you can't limit yourself to your local area. You might have to move or be willing to travel and it might not be exactly what you want to do, but it would be better than depending on Uncle Sugar. Most people aren't willing to travel or go overseas and, as such, they limit themselves to what is available in their local area. Similarly, far, far too many people in this country fail to develop broad based marketable job skills and rather expect that employers should hire them "just because". You have to make yourself valuable to an employer to gain and keep a job in hard times. If you chose to not develop job skills that are in demand you have no one to blame but yourself. Those limitations are self imposed. I don't want to sound callous, but more often than not the biggest limitation people have to finding work stares at them when they look in a mirror.....
It’s easier to find a job if you currently have a job. If you wait until your job is gone, then it gets much tougher...timing is everything.