A production accountant job at animation company Digital Doman drew Erinn Alberts and her family from New Hampshire to Port St. Lucie, Fla. But Erinn's supposed dream job soon turned into a nightmare, according to West Palm News Channel 5.
Erinn, along with husband Aaron and their three children, sold all their furniture and set off on a 1,400 mile, 30 hour drive last week. They left their old life behind for a $46,000-a-year position for Erinn at Digital Domain's Tradition Studios. But before the family even arrived at their new home, Erinn's job -- and those of 280 other employees at the company's offices in Port St. Lucie -- had disappeared. The couple heard the news from their real estate agent as they approached the outskirts of the Florida town.
Only 20 employees remain at Digital Domain's Florida office, which according to the Palm Beach Post had been undone by prolonged losses and a "death-spiral" loan of $30 million dollars. The Academy-Award winning animation studio responsible for the visual wizardry in "Titanic" and "Transformers" lost $111 million in the first half of 2012, according to the Sarasota Herald Tribune.
Bad news for Digital Domain was even worse news for the Alberts. With only $200 left to their name, Aaron and Erinn still haven't found work, according to West Palm News. For now, the couple is continuing their job search and hoping local resources will guide them through the tough time.
Treasure Coast Food Bank in Fort Pierce is treating Digital Domain's mass layoffs as if they were a natural disaster, according to WJNO, and will assist ex-employees with groceries.
"Our hearts go out to the families who have been with this company for years," Aaron Alberts told West Palm News. "I know Digital Domain is still going strong in some parts of the world. I hope they hear this, and know they kind of left a couple stranded."
Aaron said that anyone with potential hiring opportunities can contact him at ajalberts11@hotmail.com.
Also On HuffPost, Check out 10 ways things are getting worse for most American workers:
