The Layoff Project: Sadly, still relevant

With the news of 2,200 R&D people from AstraZeneca being let go (and an overall layoff of 7,300 AZ employees) overall and two site closures, I'm sorry to say that The Layoff Project is still relevant.

Below is a summary of all the stories of laid-off chemists so far:

• BQ: "I feel frustrated I cannot help anyone."
• TK: "It was very hard to shake off the sense of anger and betrayal."
• RG: "I was proud that I didn't cry in front of them."
• TN: "Be prepared for strong highs and lows."
• LM: "There is no shame in losing your job, not in this economy."
• NT: "You are either networking or not working."
• RK: "I seem to have lost purpose."
• Ortho: "Don't be afraid to ask people for help."
• Anon: "They herded us out like cattle."
• bbooooooya: "Not helpful, sitting around being bitter."
• Old pharma hand: "You are in the middle of a very emotional and stressful period."
• PH: "And then, life happened."

If you know anyone affected by today's events or recent layoffs, please let them know about this post and this blog. Please let them know that there's a community of chemists here that really cares about their fellow scientists and that can empathize with them. 

If you have a story to tell (or know someone who does), please e-mail the blog (or have them e-mail the blog) at chemjobber -at- gmail/dot/com. If you feel so inclined, let your friends and your coworkers know about The Layoff Project, too. 

The Layoff Project is an attempt to collect the oral histories of chemists who have been affected by the changes in the pharmaceutical and chemical industries. The explanatory post is here; stories can be left in the comments or e-mailed to chemjobber -at- gmail/dot/com. Confidentiality and anonymity is guaranteed.