I got laid off at age 60 in a tech-adjacent field. It took me 15 months to finally land another job. I did some temp work and collected unemployment benefits. I also was laid off back in my late 40s. It took me 4 years to find a full-time job, in spite of numerous design awards. Also an age issue: I'd changed careers and my resume gave potential employers the idea that I was in my mid 30s. I'd get almost immediate bites and then when they saw me in person and realized how old I really was, suddenly interest dried up. Lucky for me, I guess, is no student loans, no kids. But no spouse as financial back-up. Lost both of those jobs shortly after buying a new car.

If you're a designer, make friends with the local design placement agencies, such as Aquent and Profiles. They kept me fed and housed.