Well, first of all your father got laid off so that means he can collect while he looks for another job. It "is" scary when a parent is out of work, scary for the parent and scary for those who depend on his income. Your father "may" be able to find work somewhere else, may even find something he likes doing better. What you can do is to try to encourage him and help him maintain his self esteem in spite of his having to face this challenge.