Sorry for your (job) loss

Hallmark is taking a cue from the nation's 9 percent unemployment rate, adding a line of sympathy cards for job loss.

The Kansas City, Mo.-based company recently unveiled six layoff sympathy cards for sale both online and in its stores. The company would not disclose sales figures, but the manager of a Dallas store told the Dallas Morning News such sympathy and encouragement cards sell out quickly.

One Hallmark card with a photo of a cat reads: “Is there anywhere I could hack up a hairball, like say, on a former employer’s head?” Another card says: “Losing a job is just plain painful. So I want you to remember I’m in your cheering section.”

Online companies such as Zazzle and Greeting Card Universe have also begun selling layoff cards.

The country's second-largest greeting card company, Ohio-based American Greetings, has not produced greeting cards with specific captions about job loss, but spokesman Frank Cirillo told the Dallas Morning News that consumers can write their own messages to make the cards more personal.