I would illustrate some hardship that company had to go through in the past and say: "I don't apply to companies who had to go through this hardship in the past

I would illustrate some hardship that company had to go through in the past and say: "I don't apply to companies who had to go through this hardship in the past". Good companies would not have had that problem to begin with. The problem is that employed people ARE desirable to unemployed people. Just as younger employees are desirable to old ones.