Checking in on the 'New Jobless'

Jessica Pfeiffer is one of the lucky ones: She landed a job at a Detroit law firm just before Fortune's cover story went to press. "I know many, many more people who don't have a job -- many more than a year ago," she says. "I now feel a lot less embarrassed to talk about what I went through. It's great to be employed."

Thanks to her layoff, Pfeiffer has shifted her long-term view of her career. "My assumptions were always that big companies are diversified and can weather any storm, and to start your own business was too risky. Now I no longer believe that because I've been through the disruption. I have more risk tolerance." One of her long-term ideas is to start a bed and breakfast in the south of France. "I don't only joke about this," she muses. "Sometimes, I am serious. It wouldn't be so bad to control my own destiny."

NEXT: The Delphi women: Restarting and relearning