Late last year, Irshad Alikhan was laid off from his executive-level job with a Bay Area high-tech firm. Now Alikhan — who has a master's degree in electrical engineering — runs an Avis car rental outlet in Folsom for what he says is about a fourth of his previous salary. He's grateful for the work.

"It bridges a gap," said Alikhan, 62, who lives in Roseville. "That's the key thing right now. Bridge over, and take whatever you can get … Times are rough."

For people trying to bounce back from the shock of layoff, starting over isn't easy – but possible, despite California's unemployment rate well above 11 percent.

If the good news for a nation sent reeling by recession is that hard times won't last forever, the good news about joblessness is that, eventually, it also can come to an end.

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