Eons-agers have been through plenty of ups and downs in the economy during their careers. There was the stagflation and the oil-price shocks of the ‘70s, the manufacturing downturn of the ‘80s, the dot-com bust of 2000.

We’re in a tough economy right now, and added to the mix is a rise in job outsourcing that wasn’t a big factor in those earlier downturns.

Few of us feel absolutely safe in our jobs these days. And, unfortunately, some of us are going to find our names on a layoff list at some point.

Outside of a death in the family, losing a job is one of the toughest challenges you’re likely to face. And how you respond to it can have a huge impact – not only on yourself, but on the lives of your family and loved ones.

I’ve seen friends lose jobs and just retreat from everyone. They feel like a failure and they just want to curl up in a corner and be left alone.

That’s not the way to handle it. The best way to deal with a job loss is openly and honestly. Let your friends and family know what’s going on with you. Talk about your plans for moving forward.

Talking about your situation will not only help you feel better – it might even help you find your next job. Most jobs come about through personal connections, and your connections can’t help you if they don’t know what’s going on.

There are some great resources on this topic at www.HaveTheTalkAmerica.com. Under “Tough Topics,” click on “Discussing Life Changes” and then “Uncertain Futures.”

As always, it’s amazing what a good talk can do.

Group discussion: Have you ever lost a job? How did you deal with it? Do older workers face special challenges in coping with a job loss?