This paper asks how people made their livings in the former Soviet industrial city of Marijampolė during the crisis that was caused by the deindustrialization associated with the transition from a centrally planned economy to a market economy. It analyses aspects that helped to develop and include people in means of livelihood; the ways in which work activities produce new workplaces and have an impact on the transformation of places in Marijampolė; and transformations of the concept of work. It shows that means of livelihood that are used during a work crisis tend to expand, involve others, and form structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]