Unemployment is the New Black

Haven't you heard, it's all the rage. Forget the "it" bag, or the "it" girl. The new "it" is not having "it" at all. That's right my fellow New Yorkers and friends across the country, unemployment is in.

Leave it to New York to make unemployment cool. Really, you don't have a good story at a party if you don't have a story of being laid off, company closing, downsizing, etc. It seems you become the center of attention when you tell your tales of unemployment.

Just last night I was at a very eclectic dinner party at the most beautiful apartment on Central Park West. I'm sitting next to an attractive woman in her late 30's and of course the subject of jobs comes up. So I continue with my standard "my company closed down" speech, and she was ecstatic. "Oh honey, enjoy this! I'm not working either, just have fun with it!" Suddenly, we bonded over not working. More and more people are bonding over the same situation that we're building an army of non-working friends. Prepare for battle!

No longer is this city pretending that unemployment doesn't exist. We are jobless and proud! It used to be that one was embarrassed to say they've been laid off; now we can't stop talking about it. Luckily, the bars and restaurants have joined forced with our platoon of jobless partiers. The Delancy bar hands out free tequila shots on Mondays for those who can prove they're unemployed. Sign me up! Jeffrey's Meat Market is hosting free recession dinner parties at Essex and Thor restaurants for more than 200 unemployed New Yorkers. Isn't life fabulous? Not to mention all of the restaurants that are having recession specials right now.

We are glamorizing unemployment and it's OK right now. What else are we going to do in times like this? It's next to impossible to find a job that you're not over qualified for. All I see on Media Bistro, Career Builder and Craig's List are intern positions. I have a college degree and working experience and all I can get is an internship. And even those are way competitive right now. I would rather sit back with my fellow unemployed friends and talk about how we don't have jobs.

In the past two weeks, two more of my friends were laid off. I'm sure the numbers will continue to grow. I feel their pain, but we can't do much right now. Except get together Monday's at The Delancy.