How can I be prepared for a layoff?

Tips for staying prepared for a layoff:

Save six months' worth of living expenses. You want to make sure that should something happen, whether a layoff or a disability or some kind of emergency leave, you've got access to funds. Storing that money in a savings or money-market account means you won't face the tax and potential penalty hit of pulling money from a retirement account.
Keep your construction resume and network contacts up-to-date. That may be something you might regularly review so, should something happen, you're not dealing with something that's 10 years old. Schedule medical or dental work while you still have health insurance. If you've got that gut feeling (of a possible layoff), that's a great opportunity to schedule any medical or dental work.
Organize your financial records. A lot of times people have those things scattered in any number of different places.