if you were a new grad or thereabouts during the last recession (2008)

[harvestmoon, RN]

How was the job situation? Was the market much less saturated and, therefore, you didn't have problems getting offers? I graduate next May (assuming all goes well) and am very concerned I'm going to be graduating into a saturated market (though not in my current city) into hiring freezes. My current midwest city is not saturated (from the jobs being posted and new nurses being hired (that I see with my own eyes, working in a hospital)) but I wonder if a recession will kill that. I am not quitting my current job (lab rat) just in case the recession hits hard next year but I'm looking for BTDT experience from those with sage advice.

[dream'n, BSN, RN]

I graduated with my BSN around that time, after having been a LPN for many years. Jobs were very scarce and actually getting interviews even harder. At the time, I regretted my decision of leaving the top of the LPN field to start at the bottom of the RN tier. It took months to get that first position, but I spent 3 1/2 years there and developed my RN skills alot. Now I'm truly happy I went for my RN as I have the position I always wanted but couldn't have gotten as a LPN. Although I could do without the student loans ?

Another big issue at the time was the amount of new graduates in my area. We have alot of nursing programs where I live and new grads are pumped out in the thousands. It probably would have been easier in more rural areas of the country