Job Market Right Now

Curious to hear takes from people who graduated b-school / were laid off as midcareer professionals in 2009. What was the job market like and did you manage to rebound on the comp if taking a lowball offer ?

I'm seeing lower salaries and have stopped interviewing after learning the comp ceiling for some roles. One actual offer I got from a top shop (whom I know are not in trouble) was 20-25% less on the base than expected / compared to peers. Given that you can't always time these offers perfectly, I'm facing a bit of a dilemma - negotiate hard to get what I'm worth and walk away if they won't give it to me or take it, shut up and be grateful.

I'm reasonably confident that I'll be able to get a job. I think I have a pretty unique background for the roles that I tend to interview for and in some cases they've been trying to fill the role for close to a year with no success. I currently don't really need a job but I'm conscious of not building up any gaps in my resume.

I'd be curious to hear more mature takes along the lines "if I knew back then..." on the issue.