I stopped flying for about 3 years but came back eventually. I made a mistake.
Get an Instructor rating or fly skydivers or tow gliders. You wanted to fly, so fly.
As for the downturn, well a friend was just called for interview with Ryanair (yes I know that means nothing) and I know someone else who has two job offers on the table. Both have less than 500 hours in their logbooks. How did they do it? They networked and stayed in the loop.
Just constantly reheating your ratings won't get you anywhere. Who is going to get the job? The person who was flies regularly and comes recommended by someone you trust or the pilot whose CV flops on your desk every now and then who doesn't fly much and about who you know nothing?
At an interview, who is going to look a better candidate at an interview? The pilot with many hours in his logbook gained from regular flying or the pilot who tells you of how he renews his rating every year and then goes back to his job selling shoes?
Easy really.