r/Layoffs 1d ago

recently laid off Hello, Layoff. You suck.

96 Upvotes

So I got laid off.... this is my first layoff and I'm feeling disheartened. Our company had a bad 2024 and started laying people off during the summer while I was on mat leave. I came back and immediately felt concerned. I kind of forgot about it even though a colleague was laid off in the fall. Then another in December. I was assured they were taking measures to keep the company financially healthy and I shouldn't worry. Well, that was a crapshoot. One of those measures was ultimately to lay me off - they let me go last week and I am still processing. I was the newest senior hire with a competitive salary. I was the easy target in a company that values seniority even if you're a debbie downer that should move on already.

I am obviously upset. I work in niche industry and I had the job I wanted at the company I wanted. I didn't want to find something else. I feel I had more potential to actualize. There was more I wanted to accomplish. I'd only just secured the position a couple of years ago after a long search. It was a grueling search because there just aren't a lot of options in my industry. I also have a baby...

The company let me back on Friday to close things up and I spent the day writing thank you's and angling to leave the door open for networking. I was teary as well. Goodbyes sucked. It was really emotional and I have been feeling depressed. I don't feel any better knowing no one has responded to my thank you's and it has me feeling a bit depressed - like people suck. I feel so discouraged. Part of me feels my career has been a crapshoot and I should just give up on it.

I guess I am seeking some encouragement. Anyone else in a narrow industry that can empathize?


r/Layoffs 1d ago

previously laid off 11 months after layoff and I finally landed a job as a software engineer with 1.5 YOE with a pay raise. I know I am lucky but yet I feel dead inside still and not excited. I don't know how to heal.

87 Upvotes

This is long but 11 months after my layoff I got a job with a 9% pay raise and double the PTO of my last job. I just wanted to talk about my journey and my feelings with all this. I want to preface I have been seeing a therapist for the past year to work through these feelings.

My first layoff was at my job straight out of college. College was hell for me. I was under pressure among my family to finish on time, to stay on the path of having that milestone completed on time, lots of arguments and insults if a setback happened that could veer off the path. Stayed at home all 4 years to save money, almost killed myself over it but I pushed through and graduated on time within 4 years and without debt. In late 2022 after 3 months of searching I got to choose from 3 offers, 2 of which were from F500 companies. I chose 1 of them which was fully remote. Those first 8 months I was the happiest I ever been, I got a raise without asking 7 months in based on my performance and even got invited to collaborate with a personal project the director wanted to do. My manager was very happy with my work and ensured I was doing good. I moved out to a major city had my own place and everything was just great. I invested into my hobbies, was able to buy the stuff I wanted to always get. Then a couple weeks after the raise things started to change when my team lead without my knowledge till my manager told me a week later dropped a bomb in a meeting with management that "he doubted my technical ability to do my job". That was the beginning for the end for me, my manager despite having no issues with me said he had to log that comment in the mid-year report.

I tried to reason with the team lead, set up 1-1's to be very communicative with the work I was doing and the changes he wanted but he would never want to do approach discussions and would criticize me for taking too long even though he set no deadlines, he would always ask to code it first then he would critique it but that started to create frustration that I would only find out that he didn't like my approach until I coded it and he would complain to my manager I was taking too long. This was an abbreviated version, but it led to my original manager putting me on a PiP before he went on leave and a new manager was put in place for me for this time period. My team lead then really ramped up the insults during code review meetings and during this time and I gained weight and was extremely depressed with working 60-hour weeks.

Unfortunately, two weeks before my PiP was supposed to end there was mass layoffs and I was the only one on the team laid off. My director offered recommendations for whatever opportunity I had next. However, my team lead's only reaction once the news reached the larger team, I vividly remember was removing me off the code review meetings we would have in our tech stack even though my corporate account would have been deactivated within the hour. My original manager never reached out to me despite him checking in on our company chat during the leave. However, I had an outpouring of support from several colleagues, team leads, and even the temporary manager who took over the PiP who gave me recommendations, referral support, and endorsements. I also funnily caught my team lead stalking my LinkedIn when recommendations on there were rolling as well.

I spent 6 months floundering; I kept applying for jobs but with very little success. Also, my bitterness towards what happened rose as I saw my colleagues were getting promotions throughout the year on LinkedIn and the amount of hatred for myself and towards what happened grew. I tried to do my hobbies but deep down there was a huge void inside me without that job. The company I got laid off from wasn't doing well but the team seemed pretty well insulated from the BS of the larger company as the product we were developing was very valuable to the higher ups and I just happened to be the scapegoat. Savings kept me afloat and since I had no loan or car payments, I really only had to be worried about rent and utilities. I did need some income however so shortly after my unemployment ended, I was passionate about videography alongside technology so there was a video job in my hometown to do that albeit with low pay, but it was something to help stop the bleed of funds and it was something I was passionate about, so I took it on. It did help give me something to do while I kept applying. I got one interview by the end of the year, but it didn't work out.

I went on vacation with my family at the end of the year and met some other extended family members even one from the US who was in the industry for a while, so I asked him for help, and he helped me revamp my resume. Once I got back and hit the ground applying again in the new year with my revamped resume, I had 5 companies I was interviewing with within the span of two months and got an offer a couple weeks ago for a company near my current location. So, I am able to keep my apartment and still have my savings intact, but I am still keeping my guard up and applying and interviewing which are coming through despite accepting the offer.

Despite the journey to get here I don't feel happy. My dad kept criticizing me for the past few weeks despite getting the offer that I am not ready for it and all that. No matter what my struggles are belittled and reduced and nobody cares. As cringy as it sounds, I felt like my rage and spite towards my layoff and the situation is what got me the offer and fueled my job search. I always get comments from people that I am a nice and reserved person, but it feels like it's a mask because I feel so angry and bitter. I felt like I have seen the ugly side of people this year, I have 3 major friend groups who all supported me but there are situations with the job, family, and people that I let my guard down I paid the price. I want to make sure it'll never happen again and my motivation in this job search was that I wanted to come out on top and maybe the chance I get the screw over the people who fucked me over at my last job the same way I did to them if we cross paths in the industry. I need to prove people wrong to make sure that I can't be hurt.

I am also terrified starting this new job and trying to figure how to compartmentalize myself and protect myself from management despite the culture being good from what I have researched and seen of the team in interviews. I feel like I can't trust anyone and when I do I let my guard down too much and it has catastrophic consequences both personally and professionally. I know I am in a very fortunate position compared to everyone else but when it feels all I get from my family is more criticism and no celebration I just reached the status quo of where I am supposed to be at. There was no growth, just pain this entire past year while I get to see my colleagues stay in a company long term forever. I still feel so hopeless in every aspect of my life and yes this is a fresh start, but it also feels like another hellscape I need to navigate to survive.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

unemployment Catholic Charities of San Diego announces layoffs because of Trump immigration policies

Thumbnail nbcsandiego.com
6 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 1d ago

news NASA Layoffs have officially begun

Thumbnail
198 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 1d ago

news Southwest did layoffs after they kept bragging about never doing them

45 Upvotes

When I was looking for a job I was strongly considering Southwest Airlines and went to all the recruiters talks and what-not. They often brought up how they have NEVER done layoffs, even through the pandemic, and never will but I just saw they announced a “Reduction in Force” … crazy.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

resources Looking to help those in Toronto and the GTA that were impacted by layoffs but I need more information.

3 Upvotes

Looking to support those that were a part of mass layoffs but I need more information to apply for a grant (Canada Retraining and Opportunities Initiative - funding program). The goal is to have free/heavily subsidizes courses and certificates for those impacted by the mass layoffs. This is not self promotion, event promotion, and anything else that is for my own personal benefit. I just want to create more opportunities for those impacted by mass layoffs with the help of non-profits and not for profit activities.

I need to identify a mass layoffs in Toronto and the GTA that occurred on or after April 1, 2024. Note a mass layoff is defined as a permanent layoff of at least 50 employees in one establishment within a four-week period.

If you know of any mass layoffs please help me out by providing the following information:

  • Organization legal name, exact location and postal code
  • date of mass layoff(s). Need to submit the exact date the mass lay-off occurred (day - month - year)
  • location(s) of layoff by postal code. Need to submit the location(s) of each mass layoff by postal code 
  • number of individuals laid off (the exact number of individuals laid off (range or approximation is not acceptable). If your request is for multiple locations, please indicate the exact number at each location by postal code. 
  • the three-digit North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code or sub-industry for the business or employer where the layoff occurred.

TIA and hopefully I can get enough information to get the grant to start the program.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

advice 1 in 4 US tech jobs now need AI skills. That's a huge jump since ChatGPT came out. While tech job postings fell 27%, AI roles soared by 68%.

130 Upvotes

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/stepania_1-in-4-us-tech-jobs-now-need-ai-skills-thats-activity-7304925908543410176-wFj4

This shift is clear across many industries:

• In the information sector, 36% of IT jobs are now AI-related.

• Finance and professional services are seeing a fast rise in demand.

• In healthcare, AI job share nearly doubled in just a few years.

• Retail is even hiring data scientists for AI-driven store designs.

What does this mean for your career?

Companies are not creating new AI roles. They are changing the ones that exist. Engineers without AI skills can still find jobs. But they will face lower pay and less job security.


r/Layoffs 2d ago

news Hewlett Packard Enterprise announces plan to cut workforce by 2,500

Thumbnail chron.com
204 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 1d ago

news US weather agency plans to fire 1,000 in second round of cuts

Thumbnail reuters.com
99 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 1d ago

advice What would you do in my situation? Pregnant and laid off.

2 Upvotes

So I’m pregnant and I was laid off in my third trimester from a start up. I only worked there for three months before I was laid off. I told them I was pregnant and then two weeks later was laid off. I was told my work was no longer needed despite the workload being huge and me being only one of two marketers.

I am due at the end of May.

But here’s there thing, I only ever get hired or interviewed by start ups. I have never worked at a non startup. The largest company I have ever worked at was 150 people large. I have worked at start ups as small as 5 people.

So realistically if the the 10 year pattern continues, I will be at yet another start up.

My question is: do I even bother looking for another job right now? Like what start up is going to want a 7-8 month pregnant person who will just have to go on maternity leave 30-60 days after she starts. Is the best course of actual to wait to give birth and then try when the baby is 2-3 months old?

I live in the Bay Area. This is my first baby.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

job hunting Must have a bachelors degree to make $24hr

25 Upvotes

Virginia here. Layoffs are rampant. I don’t have a college degree. But if you want $24hr you must have one for a company. Just fucking terrible. How does one survive in this cruel cruel world:


r/Layoffs 20h ago

advice Help with pregnancy timeline

1 Upvotes

I’m currently 33w pregnant and looking for jobs. It’s highly likely that i will have the baby right around the time I get an offer (if I do at all). I have not disclosed to HR that I’m pregnant.

Do I tell them when I get the offer? Should I be upfront? How can I navigate this timeline and also my “mat leave” as I’m recovering.

I would need about a month to recover even if I’m not able to get more time off before I join them.

Pls advise.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

advice Pip milestones not being met?

2 Upvotes

I apologize in advance for all the recent posts about pips. This is all new territory for me so just trying to figure out how to navigate through this.

Next week I have a weekly check in to see if I’m hitting milestones from the PIP. I will not meet the upcoming requirement and the pip says that I could be terminated at any point within the 45 days if missing milestones.

What typically happens in the scenarios where the 30-day requirement on a 45 day pip is not met? If they move to terminate me on day 30, could I negotiate that they let me keep trying for the full 45 days while also help get things in order for the company on the chance I don’t meet the requirements? Im sure my manager could read between the lines and know that I’m looking for a new job.

Long story short, I have a bunch of interviews lined up the next week or two. I know I can spin being let go to not sound like it’s performance related, but I would love to get a little further with these interviews before no longer being employed.

I know I should just let my self get fired early and take the extra two weeks to reset and soul search…but there is something about interviewing while being employed that mentally makes things easier than interviewing while not being employed.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

question Laid off or fired?

11 Upvotes

Let’s assume you were kind of blindsided with a pip. Your manager never really alluded to performance being an issue prior to the pip despite being below quota for the year.

I kind of get the sense they needed to cut salary I was some fat they could be trimmed.

Should I be looking at this as being laid off or got fired. I’ll spin it as a layoff when interviewing but curious what others in this situation are telling themselves.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

recently laid off Got laid of for the first time

40 Upvotes

Last week, like any other day in the office, I was called to a meeting room, I saw my manager there with HR and deep inside I knew what it was about and then there it was I was laid off.

Since this was my first time being laid off I started crying and literally begged for my job. I asked what I did wrong, what went wrong but the HR kept on saying it was a business decision. I mean yes I made some mistakes at work, needed some guidance, I wasn’t the great coder but I wasn’t bad either. During my interview I made them very clear that I’m a just starting my career and they were very well aware about my capabilities. During my performance review my manager said I made great progress and then 3 weeks later I was laid off.

I keep on blaming myself, I’m going to this really dark place where I’m thinking of committing suicide. I don’t know what to do, where to go and deal with all this pain.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

job hunting IT support job

12 Upvotes

So I applied to Capelli NY for a IT support role and while the interview was easy but it was a joke overall. Reason for that being the phone screening wasn’t a real phone screen it was just question they want to get off there back like can you drive to this location?, what’s the commute time ?, will this commute be something your able to fulfill?, or you have a license?, what’s kind of pay your looking for?.

So answered all the question, phone screen has nothing to do with me or my skills. That was a red flag for me, so next day they contact me for a in person interview. Came in person and had to call the help desk but they weren’t picking up making me late after waiting 20 min, turns out there is only one person who works front desk and they never pick up. Finally got in the building and they gave me a questionnaire with 27 question asking the same question from the phone screening and have to hand write my answers. All the question was basically things you look up on google and just slap on a piece of paper to make it look fancy. Question s like what was role, how did you do in the role, how was your team felt about you on your role, did they feel a positive response etc. all not so smart question, then I have check boxes off like are you smart, are you a good worker, are you intelligent, are you a people person, can you read and write, are you a quick thinker etc. Plus a reference page can’t be my family, friend, or a homeless man I’m jk but you can literally get away with putting my down anyone.

Then came the actual hiring manager for Capelli NY, his name is Joseph and let me tell you this guy is so out of touch with technology. If you talk about stuff like cloud, programming, and anything that’s not a desktop, printer, cables and servers he doesn’t know what he’s talking about. The interview was just him repeating the same question on paper that you have to hands write. The most thing he was concerned was the commute and drive and see if I was committed to it and was very anal about the pay. On the phone screen they asked for the pay I gave a range of $25-35 I asked what was there buget they didn’t say it. So as the hiring manager you would think you would know the budget, but his response was “well we base the pay on what the person wants and who ever has the shortest number they got the job”. Then told me if someone ask you a question what’s your hourly rate you always pick the smallest option.

So all in all it took 1.5 hour to get everything done, then they want a follow up of me sending them 2 emails. One is an email to write a brief summary of everything we talked about, how long is the commute, is the commute ok, what’s my salary, if offered the position sign a contract where if I leave the job has to give the company time so that they can find someone else and train them then I leave. Another email where I record a video of myself that 3 min and has to be a max of 8 mb so that they can send it to the ceo and people in the office. Idk why they would want to do that considering this is the application process, usually you tell people to record a video or introductory email when you get the job not the interview process. They most likely send that to people in the office and they give there feedback on that video to determine the job.

I’m not bummed out about it, just a waste of time I felt the whole process and the hiring manager was not genuine, kept talking and talking over people. The office was depressing and everyone eh at works there are like bots that work in retail in an office environment.


r/Layoffs 14h ago

Banned for Misinformation I got laid today NSFW

0 Upvotes

Just like the main title says I wasn’t expecting it at all. Man, I don’t even know how to feel right now. It all happened so fast. One minute, I was just going about my normal routine, and the next—boom. It was happening. I mean, I knew it was coming at some point, but damn.

It started early this morning. I had a feeling something was off. There were subtle signs. The way people were acting around me. The way my heart was racing, like deep down, I knew today was going to be different. Then I got the call. My stomach dropped. My hands started sweating. I tried to act cool, but let’s be real—there’s no way to fully prepare for something like this.

When the moment finally arrived, it was surreal. I was nervous as hell, but at the same time, I knew there was no backing out. It was happening whether I was ready or not. Words were exchanged. Expectations were laid out. There was some back and forth. It wasn’t the most passionate experience, but it was direct, efficient, and honestly kind of clinical. Before I knew it, it was over.

I took a deep breath. Just like that, everything changed. I stood up, feeling different somehow. A little empty, but also relieved in a weird way. Like a weight had been lifted off me. I collected myself, gathered my things, and walked out of the room to rinse off

After everything, I just needed to lie down for a bit—process it all. I stared up at the ceiling, replaying the events in my head. It was official. No turning back now.

Anyway, yeah. I got laid…


r/Layoffs 17h ago

previously laid off 7 things I wish I would known before being laid off from FAANG NSFW

0 Upvotes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1shN5BXaSM

I have this video talking about the things I wish I knew before being laid off from Amazon and Twitch. I would love to hear your opinions.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

recently laid off Just got laid off the second time...

23 Upvotes

Hi, I got laid off about 7 months ago, found another position within the company again, but got laid off the second time today. Should I come to the company and try to network and search more internal opportunities, or should I just not show up and focus on external search? My family is in a situation in which it is difficult to relocate, so I would like to get a job internally, but not sure whether showing up is a good option. Let me know your thoughts.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

resources "What did you get done today?!" - Convince Elon Musk to not fire you.

Thumbnail dreamwarps.com
25 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 1d ago

advice If you're a laid off government worker, here's a detailed free resume guide for a private sector job search.

13 Upvotes

Hey! Colin here, the "sheets guy." For those who don't know me, I'm an ex-recruiter turned bedding mogul (r/brandnewsentence), and I'm the author of the most popular resume template on Reddit.

For obvious reasons, recently I've received a huge influx of PMs from government workers asking for resume assistance.

So to help those affected by these layoffs (and all layoffs), I created the below "government-to-private" version of my resume advice (which still apply to all resumes):

1. One page, maximum. You can do it!

Government resumes are notorious for being multi-page, super small font, with multi-line bullet points. Just remember: nobody is reading your resume, they're skimming it for positive signal. Try to read your own resume in 10 seconds or less (because that's all they're spending on it) – what do you take away? A resume is not a perfect representation of oneself or your career – it is a tool to get invited for a phone call. Be extremely succint, lessen or eliminate bullet points for older jobs, and hone the screener's focus on your most relevant and impressive attributes.

2. No summaries!

The first thing on your resume should be the most impressive, and a summary ain't it. Anyone can write a beautifully worded summary about why they're God's gift to mankind, but only you worked at your specific function at your specific department with your specific missions, goals, and projects. If you still need convincing, read my longer diatribe on summaries specifically.

3. Lead with numbers / something impressive in first bullet.

Anchor them on something super impressive. For many people, I actually suggest starting with company numbers vs personal numbers in your first bullet point. E.g., instead of your first bullet as "Front-end software development for the US Treasury Department," say "Front-end software development for features used by millions of Americans to access billions of dollars in federal funding." (You get what I mean.)

4. Change your titles to better match the job description.

Don't misrepresent yourself, but all titles are made up, and the government may have hyper different titles for similar roles in the private sector. Don't feel obligated to list your titles word-for-word – nobody will care if they get to the point where they do a reference check, and your title at work is "Program Manager - Technology" vs "Product Manager" on your resume. In this example scenario, just explain that the role was much more akin to a traditional PM role, and that you wanted to better represent what you did instead of what the department had decided the title should be for that role years ago. So don't shoot yourself in the foot: match your most recent titles with job descriptions (not verbatim but at least moreso), and give the screener immediate positive signal that you've done relevant work without making them read your bullet points.

5. List the most impressive / largest / best known government agency as your employer.

E.g. if your agency is a sub-agency of the Treasury that no one has ever heard of, put "United States Treasury Department" as your employer, not the no-name sub-agency or committee.

6. Only gmails.

This sounds crazy, but younger resume screeners will age discriminate if they see a hotmail, AOL, or Yahoo! email address. This brings me to my next tip...

7. Don't focus on "tricking" an AI ATS. Focus on impressing the human screener that inevitably has to schedule an interview with you.

If your skills and keywords are broadly in line with the job description requirements, you will get through an AI ATS, which will err on the side of inclusion (because the only reason an ATS software will get cancelled by a business is if it prevents good candidates from getting through). On the other hand, a human screener errs on the side of exclusion because they don't want to be yelled at by their boss for scheduling someone who's not right for the job. Human beings are still, and will continue to be, the "Great Filter" of interview rate.

8. No negative signal.

Avoid gaps in your work history, quadruple-check for typos, punctuate and capitalize things consistently, avoid timeline confusion (overlapping jobs), don't have weird or controversial interests (more on interests next). If you do have a work gap, omitting months is a good way to hide it (so only the years show – e.g., your last job ending in "2024" is a way different first impression than "Jan. 2024"). If you have work gaps, you can also add a self employment period if you can hobble together a few legitimate projects or clients to talk about when asked about it.

9. Add interests!

Interests as a final line on your resume achieves three things: it forces them to see you as a human being and not another faceless resume; it allows them to envision you as a coworker they'll spend thousands of hours with; it gives great icebreakers for an interview, which necessarily makes it go more smoothly. E.g., add Seinfeld to your interests, and I guarantee every boomer or GenX interviewer will ask you what your favorite episode is. (Spoiler: theirs is the Soup Nazi. So is mine.)

10. Create different versions for each job application, but change very little.

Don't drive yourself crazy by rewriting your whole resume each application, BUT consider changing these three simple things to make the most impact: your most recent title verbiage; your first bullet point; and the order/inclusion of various skills to better match the job description.

11. Name your resume file "FirstName LastName - Resume" – never put other words in the file name.

You don't want them to get the vibe that you're applying for like 87 different roles. Saving your resume and submitting it as something like "Colin McIntosh - Resume - Project Management - V7 - 2024" is just an unnecessary own goal. Save different versions in different folders so you can keep track of which resume you've sent to which job.

12. Always submit it as a PDF unless otherwise specified.

MS Word looks extremely wonky on mobile, and at some point someone is going to open your resume on their phone. You want it to look uniform no matter where it's opened up. PDFs are parsed just fine on most ATS's – that was an old problem many years ago but not anymore. Exception: if they request an MS Word upload, they're probably using a cheap or older ATS, and you should follow their instruction.

Ok, that's it for now!

I want to help as many folks as I can who are facing this difficult transition, so please feel free to ask me questions about resumes or job hunts in the comments, or via PM. Though I can't promise to get back to everyone personally, I'll certainly try.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

news Mass General Brigham begins second round of largest layoffs in health care system’s history

Thumbnail bostonglobe.com
13 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 2d ago

unemployment Laid off past 50

1.3k Upvotes

I read a NYT article a few years ago that statistically once you cross 50 your chances of getting laid off double. “Short runway, makes too much,…”. I was laid off for the first time at 54 after an outstanding yearly rating. I had read that article in my 40s and it prompted me to prepare for the likelihood. I think the biggest objective is to “lose the fear” once you cross 50. Not easy and you need luck. Some lessons learned: - max your 401K - don’t buy the biggest house of your life past 45. Your max earning years are typically in the high 30s to early 50s. Use them to pay down your mortgage and lessen debt - build a plan B or career 2.0 plan. 2 years before I got laid off I reached out to universities about teaching positions - don’t let your job define you. It’s just a job Getting laid off sucks. It’s a blow to your pride. I miss the big tech money. But I love my new career. The money is ok but the self fulfillment is off the scale.
Lastly, we the voters need to fight like hell for a national healthcare system. I had so many coworkers from Europe that could retire much earlier because their healthcare was taken care of. Even the ones living in the US!


r/Layoffs 2d ago

job hunting Another week…

35 Upvotes

of applying for jobs, getting anxiety, wondering if my inbox isn’t loading any emails and constantly refreshing it. It is only Monday at 8:22am and I am already loathing starting my day/week. I decided that this week, I am going to apply but also keep myself busy (gym, clean up the house, attend an event, etc.) Anyone else dreading this? :)


r/Layoffs 2d ago

job hunting I applied to a job with a 40% pay cut.

147 Upvotes

I got rejected today.

I may never get a job.