crappy job no more?

So the other day, we got an email from the person in charge of the company, in which the general summary is "The economy is in the crapper right now, so your raises are going to be shitty this year. We don't really care though, because it's going to be next to impossible for you to find another job, so we're betting you'll all just accept it and move on."

I don't think so.

Now, I am horribly spoiled by my raises. And I realize that most people get 3-5% per year and the fact that my raises have varied from 11-21% is crazy. But this year, my raise is only 9%. I realize that is still crazy, but I was expecting 12%, which would be a LOT more than what I'm getting. Money is one of the only reasons I'm still working here...and the amount I'm getting paid right now might not really be worth it.

So I'm stuck with a dilemma: I know I want to leave here, but I have no idea what I want to do. I just calculated the lowest base salary that I would be able to live off of in the event that I decide to completely change careers. I have contacts at other accounting firms, but I don't know if leaving here for there is really going to improve my situation. The fancy mall down here is hiring a manager at Banana Republic right now, so although I'm completely unqualified for that, I think I might apply. I have to throw a resume together tonight.

Maybe I'm just being crazy? I mean, I'm still going to be making a lot of money...but I LIVE for the annual raises. That's what makes all of the hours and the travel worth dealing with. And this is really lame. Especially since I'm guessing the bonuses will also be shitty because of the economy.

I wish they were hiring at the Humane Society. I got several emails from them a few months ago about open positions...but I can almost guarantee I wouldn't make enough to live off of there. Boo.