My first layoff was pretty decent, actually -- I got six months salary and benefits (I'd been there for 15 years), and got a job right at the end of that period (so no double dipping, but at least no dipping into savings). Second one, though, was brutal. Got a month's severance and took me a year to find a job.

I've only been layed off once, right before the dotcom crash. I got 2*month-for-year (it was nice because that was 8 months and it took me (only) 2 months to get a new job.)

optimism

Jack gets a lot of grief (some of it well-earned), but I honestly don't think I've see layoffs done as humanely as this. Of course, it's still a layoff, but if any of the jobs that had laid me off in the past had given me months of pay, half a year of health coverage, let me keep my computer, and thrown cash at me on top of that? Those layoffs would at least have involved a lot less money stress.