I've never been laid off, but once was part of a company that went bankrupt and was one of the last people to leave the payroll (which is like being laid off, but where your employer is dead so at least you can console yourself with being the guy turning off the lights)... That said I did a lot of laying off for that company. Almost everyone ended up much better off after a few weeks or a month or so of searching. People would rightfully worry about if their actions caused it or why me instead of ___. The truth was that it was really about spreadsheets.

For me, I ended up getting a much better job that paid 2x what I made at the bankrupt company. But the feelings of having your livelihood rug-pulled are really difficult.