Things may be bad now, but when things improve and someone needs pilots again, who are they going to look for first? It's never the pilot with the most hours. It's important to maintain positive relationships with recruiters, friends, and colleagues, because whose going to be there for you when you want or need something.
I was stuck as a regional FO for many years and I definitely checked out because what was the point of trying with no one seemed to be for a long time. Well when things started booming again, I started calling my old mentors and many of them didn't really remember me. Things are pretty bleak now, but you never know who you might meet at these recruiting events. It just might help years later.