The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the unemployment rate rose from 8.1 to 8.5 percent in March of 2009.  Since the current recession officially started in December of 2007 just over five million people have lost their jobs, two-thirds of them in the last five months.  All of us are affected by this, unemployed or not.

It’s all doom and gloom, right?  Well not on all levels. While the news media focuses primarily on the negative, consider some of the positive secondary effects that come from being (f)unemployed (as some of my friends have taken to calling it). People now laid off can be employed to do other things.

Some are taking the opportunity to learn a new language. (Rosetta Stone is one of the few companies succeeding during this recession.)  Others are honing their skills by going back to school, learning a new trade, taking computer courses at the local community college.  And some will self start businesses. Some of America’s most successful businesses were founded during recessions.

And those who are still getting a paycheck?  People place greater value on their jobs and improve their overall work ethic, which in turn enhances the overall quality of the services provided.   Lower labor costs brought about by the recession, combined with higher productivity, translate into cost savings for businesses. These savings are passed on to consumers in the form of lower prices.  Businesses try to entice customers to spend, with sales and other deals. Consumers eventually respond.   Business by business, firm by firm, and industry by industry, better-than-expected-profits are posted. And eventually, businesses will begin expanding, lowering the unemployment rate all over again.

So while it’s true that the economy’s downturn has badly hurt many families, like anything in life it isn’t without certain silver linings. Small consolation to someone who’s lost their job or home, I know. But in times like these it doesn’t hurt to look for a few positives.

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