Part of the pride of being an American comes from the fact that most people that want jobs have jobs. However, this is not always the case. Sometimes, as happened in 2008, the economy slows down, and jobs become harder to find or keep. Businesses make less money and so can keep fewer people employed. Those people who lost their jobs then have less money to spend. Because they have less money to spend, other businesses make less money, and then they, too, have to cut workers. In the United States, these cycles always end and the economy recovers, but it can take a while.
People have to get creative about making money if they lose their jobs. Sometimes, they can use the skills they used at their old jobs to make money independently. For example, people don’t buy many car stereos when the economy is bad. So, car stereo stores have to layoff some of their stereo installers. If an installer has a place to work, that person can install stereos without a store. Often, this person will charge less than the store where he or she used to work. Also, the installer will get to keep all of the money he or she charged. At the store where the installer used to work, the store would have made most of the money.
During hard times, it is important to be open-minded. There are always ways to make money outside of a formal job, if a person is willing to do things he or she wouldn’t normally do. A computer programmer, for example, might not be able to find work as a computer programmer. However, if the programmer is good with his or her hands, he or she may be able to find work in construction. Lawns never stop growing, and many aspects of life do not stop just because the economy has slowed down. A person who lost a job at a supermarket may be able to mow lawns for money, or do many other things.
Most importantly, a person who loses a job must not give up. One’s attitude is very important in determining if he or she will be successful. A hopeful person is more likely to find a new job. Also, a hopeful person will be better able to keep trying new things. A hopeful person, too, can be patient. The jobs will come back. They always do.
Which of these best describes the central idea of the passage?