Whole sector shrinking, should I change fields? - 3 months and counting

Many of the people I know in my field were laid off this year, including me as a welding apprentice. I am open to a pay cut if the field is stable. How did you choose?

Talk to people in the field you are considering. Two coffee chats changed my mind about one option.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it 3 months ago, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.