I took a job I didn't like during a previous recession. Unemployment is not enough to live on - There's nothing wrong with a job that keeps you with a paycheck.
As for the job I took, pay was very low, and remained low the 6 years I ended up staying. The company was a pain to work for. But in the end, I gained engineering experience that landed me later jobs. And, the employer got good new product designs they wouldn't of had otherwise (I was the first "degreeded" engineer they had on their design staff in several years!).
For many non-prime employers, recessions are their only opportunity to have talent.