Jobs for the Recently Laid-Off

Seasonal or Temporary Jobs

Other jobs that require only a few hours of on-the-job training are teaching assistants ($30,080), loan eligibility interviewers ($28,190), physical therapist aides ($24,080) and jobs sterilizing and preparing medical and lab equipment ($27,940). Another good option might be working as a postal service clerk ($44,290), but Shatkin said there is usually a big backlog of applicants for those jobs.

A host of other jobs only require a week or two of training and are still hiring.

He suggested looking for a job as a school bus driver ($26,190), or a pest control worker ($30,280). There are also jobs to be found as correctional workers ($39,970), court bailiffs ($38,510), medical assistants ($28,270), dental assistants ($32,280) and pharmacy technicians ($27,560). And for those people willing to take on a bit more risk in their lives: hazardous materials removal ($39,210).

Shatkin said all of these jobs "are less sensitive to downturns in the economy than most occupations."

You might be able to get a seasonal job -- like data entry for tax season -- but Shatkin warns that many of those functions can now be done easily, and cheaper, overseas.

Finally, Shatkin recommends trying to turn your existing skills into something new. For instance, if you lost a job in construction, consider becoming a fire inspector ($52,640). Also think about becoming a self-enrichment teacher ($39,600 ) or -- if you have a master's degree -- an adjunct professor at a local college ($71,950).

"If you can't do it," he said, "you teach it."

Michael Farr, author of 100 Fastest-Growing Careers and several other books on employment, said that a lot of older workers -- particularly those once in management -- are becoming self-employed.

"Managers and professionals need not to be locking themselves into one industry. So if they are having a hard time in the financial industry then they look at their management skills and have options outside the financial-services industry."

If you do take a job painting houses to pay the bills, Farr said it is okay to leave such positions off your resume.