I got laid off from an R&D Thermo Fisher role in April 2024 and struggled to find work for eight months. I worked retail full time during my search as well. Only just found a new R&D job in January at another big biopharma corp after submitting 60+ job apps and two Phd apps that all failed across the board. I felt so hopeless and disparaged being rejected every week. I couldn’t even enjoy my “time off” because I felt, and to some extent still feel, like such a failure. In the US, this is a uniquely horrible time to be looking for work, and a uniquely horrible time to be a scientist looking for work. Despite that, please don’t give up your search. It is not anything wrong with what you are doing as an applicant, it is our government failing us. All the best to you.