I was laid off by Amazon and am still jobless. What once felt like a paid vacation now feels like a ticking time bomb.

Joanelle Cobos

Joanelle Cobos

• Joanelle Cobos began actively job hunting in January after being laid off by Amazon in October.
• After three prior layoffs, she'd prepared financially for a fourth — which came at Amazon.
• The financial cushion let her relax after the layoff, but the pressure is now setting in.

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Joanelle Cobos, a 38-year-old job seeker who lives in Las Vegas. She previously worked for Amazon as...