My sister and I were laid off around the same time. We started a small business together to survive unemployment.
Two sisters who were laid off from their jobs during a period of personal grief turned to their family's history of thrifting to start a vintage goods business. The venture serves as both a financial lifeline and a way to process their loss while navigating a difficult job market.
Why it matters
It reflects the resilience of workers in the face of economic instability and the rise of the gig economy as a survival strategy.
The author and her sister run a small business, selling vintage items. Courtesy of Amanda Leigh Lichtenstein My sister and I were both laid off from our jobs around the same time as our parents died. We decided to start a small business, selling vintage items, which is something our mom taught us. The small business is helping us through unemployment and face the grief. When I walk into a suburban mid-century house with my sister, we're on the hunt for treasures that will make our customers happy — but we also like to marvel at the elaborate wallpaper in the bathroom. We have time now to sift through the junk drawers and basement bookshelves. Within the last few years, we both were laid off from our jobs as writers and editors.
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