Many of the laid off oil workers got severance packages. Unemployment can not start for these people because it is considered wages. If you get 8 or 10 weeks of wages then your unemployment benefits can't start for that period of time. In some jobs I know people can get up to 6 months. I know people that work in apartment maintenance and they are busy working on vacated residences at an alarming rate. When the money still floating around drys up and goes South it will look like 1985. Personally I think it will be worse. All the new businesses are going to be hard hit. I hear people say "the service industry is growing", well to get money in the economy you have to produce something. Selling stuff imported for anywhere is a negative draw as more money leaves versus making, harvesting, mining and petroleum products in state.