需要現在找工作嗎？It depends...

Nice to see you are help your friend.

The best plan:
If you have nice marketable skills, start looking for job in last month before get a layoff.
After lay off, get your money, start work in new copany.

If you want to start looking now, you do not need tellyou current maager.
You do not need your current manager for reference while you are jumping now.

Good luck!