>You're speaking like every employer is Walmart.

The comparisons are mostly in IT since it's the field that I work in. I've worked as a contractor in State facilities and they do make a LOT less money ~15-20% less. Layoffs are a way of life in my industry. Survival instincts include seeing the signs of a layoff before they start and getting out. This is something that people who work in government jobs never seem to do and it's common to find people who worked there for decades. In IT, 7 years is a long-timer.