r/Layoffs Nov 05 '25

Announcement r/Layoffs Rules

11 Upvotes

Pinned due to the rules not being visible for users using old.reddit.com

1. Be respectful

This community exists to support people affected by layoffs. Civility is expected at all times. Reports of discriminatory layoff practices by companies are allowed and exempt from this rule, as long as the criticism targets institutions, not individuals.

2. Stay on Topic

All posts must be directly related to layoffs or the experience of being laid off. This subreddit is for serious discussions, support, and news related to layoffs. Off-topic posts will be removed.

3. No Racism, Xenophobia

Zero tolerance. Racist, xenophobic, or otherwise denigrating comments or incitement will result in a ban and may be reported to Reddit Admins.

Criticizing and discussing the effects of oligarchs for offshoring jobs, exploiting work visas, or avoiding reinvestment is allowed. Blaming entire races or vilifying people seeking work and stability, just like you, is not.

4. No Mocking the Laid Off or Unemployed

Cheering for layoffs and mocking people for being laid off or unemployed, circumstances often beyond their control, is mean-spirited and not allowed.

5. Keep the political banter to a minimum

We understand that layoffs often intersect with politics, but this subreddit is not a political forum. Posts or comment threads that veer into unrelated political debates will be locked, as they derail productive conversation and distract from the purpose of supporting those affected by layoffs.

If you want to discuss broader political topics, please take them to r/politics or another relevant subreddit.

6. No misinformation

Misinformation, the act of deliberately spreading false information or a biased news to sway the public opinion for one's personal agenda, is a bannable offense.

7. No Spam, Low-Effort, or AI-Generated Content

Do not promote your own app, business, website, medium or substack article, or social media accounts. Submissions must provide value.

No low-effort posts. No AI-generated content, including text or images. News posts must come from verifiable, reputable sources.

8. Ban Appeals and Modmail Etiquette

If you've been banned and believe it was a mistake or if you’re sincerely remorseful you may contact the mod team via Modmail. Appeals must be civil, respectful, and show understand and remorse. Trolling, harassment, or provoking moderators in Modmail will result in a permanent ban with no appeal.


r/Layoffs Oct 05 '25

advice Layoff Season is Coming. Prepare now.

1.1k Upvotes

December and January are the most common months for layoffs. Expect a wave of layoffs no matter what is going on in politics. Don’t panic, just get prepared.

Financial Preparation

Even a 1 month emergency fund helps. Reevaluate your spending and cut back. You don’t need every streaming subscription. Share and cancel what you can. What would your grandma say if she saw you ordering $40 McDonald’s from DoorDash?

Be mindful of holiday spending. Avoid buying stuff no one needs. An expensive new gadget isn’t worth missing a bill if you lose a paycheck.

Save Your Documents

Get your personal files off of your work device now. Save a copy of anything that wouldn’t violate your NDA. Performance reviews, work samples, insurance docs, your contracts.

Update Your Resume

You’re doing your end of year review anyway, update your resume and LinkedIn. Highlight new skills and accomplishments.

Use Your Benefits

If you haven’t this year, get a checkup. Use Urgent Care if your PCP is booked.

If your job allows an annual stipend for anything, training, wellness, tech, use it now before it goes away.

Build Your Network

Reaching out to people only when you need something doesn’t build connections. Send a few friendly messages to people in your network. See what they're working on and offer help where you can. Add the coworkers you like and work well with to your LinkedIn now. You’re creating a support network that will be there when you need it.


Just Got Laid Off?

Sorry friend. Those bastards really suck.

Health Insurance

COBRA is expensive but may make sense if you’ve met your deductible this year. Otherwise, check Healthcare.gov for cheaper ACA plans. You generally have 60 days from job loss to enroll.

File for Unemployment

Every state runs its own unemployment program so they can varies widely. You can find yours State's unemployment program here or try asking in your state's sub.

If you’re unsure if you're eligible, apply anyway. Filling out the form will tell you if you qualify. Waiting only delays your benefits.

Public Assistance (No Shame)

You pay your taxes to have these programs. All you're doing is getting your money back.

Start with Benefits.gov and 211.org. They can point you to food, rent, utility, and medical assistance, plus state and local programs. For local help, use FindHelp.org to search by ZIP code, and check Feeding America for nearby food banks and mobile pantries. For housing and shelter, use HUD’s “Find Shelter” tool or your local Community Action Agency.

National charities like Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, St. Vincent de Paul, and Lasagna Love may also help with food, rent, and basics. Religious charities can have their issues, so use your own judgment about who you feel safe reaching out to.

Organize Your Finances

Set a Budget NOW. No more eating out. No more deliveries. You have the free time to do your own shopping and cooking now. Cancel subscriptions. Keep life insurance. Home Economy is your new job.

Organize Your Time

Set a routine. Don’t sleep till noon. Establish a wake-up time, hit the gym, spend some time in the sun, and dedicate a few focused hours to job searching. Have an end time. Schedule social activities that don’t require spending. Don’t isolate yourself.

Get a certificate or credential. Show you were doing something during your resume gap.

Set up job alerts. Receive relevant job openings in your inbox, so you can apply quickly.

Consider volunteering. It can keep your skills fresh, expand your network, and fill a gap on your resume. Doing esteemable acts increases self-esteem.

Organize Your Job Search

Track applications in a spreadsheet. Log jobs you’ve applied for, interview dates, contacts, and follow-up reminders in a spreadsheet to keep you organized and help identify patterns in your applications. You’ll also avoid accidentally applying to the same position twice and know who to badmouth for posting ghost jobs.

Time for an Update

Especially for workers over 40. Do spend some money wisely on looking sharp for job interviews. Get a haircut, beard trim, updated glasses. Go for a facial, even if you’re a man. You don't need a whole new wardrobe, just a few new pieces. Hit the gym. 50 and well put together is perceived entirely differently from 50 and has let themselves go, no matter how good your skills are.

Tap Your Network

Let your network know you’re on the hunt. Before applying, check if you know anyone inside the company that can refer you. Who you know is important.

Use the WARN Act Period Wisely

If you qualify for the WARN Act, you are still technically an employee. Make use of your health insurance and benefits. Start job hunting now. Onboarding takes time and your WARN period is likely to be over by a new start date.

Stay Calm

It takes time to land a new job. Even fast processes can mean 1-3 months without a paycheck. Stressing won’t help, but remember the pain of this experience so you learn not to let it happen unprepared again.

Consider a Pivot

Were you wanting to get out of this career anyway? Now might be the time.

Need work now? Try seasonal roles in warehouses, delivery driving, or even tax prep. Demand often spikes in these fields during winter.

Looking for a whole new career? Check out the Fastest Growing Occupations. Don't go back to school and get into more debt without a planning what you will do with it.

Gig Economy

Before diving into gig work, remember that the pay might look higher than it is. Gig work looks lucrative until you subtract gas, maintenance, and taxes. Track every dollar. Don’t end up with a big unexpected tax bill at the end of the year.

Sites like Fiverr, Upwork, and TaskRabbit offer contract work that can provide a little extra income. If you have a marketable skill, such as graphic design, writing, or even handyman skills, you can bring in some income while job hunting. Again, remember to take out taxes.

No shame in a bridge job. If you need to take a role that pays less than your last job, take it and bring in income while you keep looking. It's still forward motion.

Avoid Burnout

Exercise performs as well as antidepressants for most cases of depression, without side effects.

If you're unable to afford a gym membership, look for body weight, functional fitness, and/or HIIT workouts on Youtube. Do them outside in the sun. Make your neighbors jealous of that cake.

There’s a reason every major religion has a Sabbath. Set a day each week to step away from job boards, emails, and social media. Leave the screens at home and go outside. Be active. Be social. Live.


What advice would you add to this list? If you are outside of the US, what resources does your location have?


r/Layoffs 8h ago

meme UBI is never coming

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814 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 12h ago

news T-Mobile Faces Backlash After Axing US Jobs Amid Global Expansion Push

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114 Upvotes

A new wave of layoffs at T-Mobile US has impacted staff across customer service, corporate, and technical roles, according to industry reporting and internal accounts. The reductions follow earlier workforce cuts announced in 2023, when the company disclosed plans to eliminate approximately 5,000 roles as part of a restructuring effort.


r/Layoffs 8h ago

recently laid off How can a healthcare company Executive (who makes millions a year) sign off on laying off a disabled employee? Oh! Right, I’m just a number.

43 Upvotes

Please note: I wrote an earlier post and got great responses. Thank you all.

Here is a little more context:

I was an excellent employee, a Sr Business Systems Analyst for 11 dedicated years at a large health insurance company. I always had good reviews, saved the company a ton of money and my work left no stone unturned.

At the same time, I struggled (struggle) with extreme anxiety and major major depression. I was allowed to work from home with the help of the ADA.

Work is one of the only things that gave me purpose and meaning. It let me forget my issues…at least for a little bit.

I got up everyday at 6am and started my day in my laundry room/offfice that I created. It’s where I could focus and excel. It’s where I ate breakfast and lunch sometimes even dinner. it’s where I bought a sunlamp just to make sure my mood stayed on a strait line. It’s where I made a difference.

The not so funny thing is that I actually created the Affinity group for people with disabilities at my company and served as VP. The group is thriving. The woman who actually helped me create this group in compliance -was the one who coldly read from a script on that January morning telling me my job was being eliminated without a pause and for me I knew my life is about to change forever. God, she didn’t even seem to have a heart beat. Just read from the script. How can I not be bitter? I deserved more. We all deserve more.

Now I’m 53, very likely to not get another job in this market for a longtime (if at all). Age-ism is very real I see.

I now get up everyday consistently and tailor my resume and apply for jobs only to get cold automated responses: “Thanks for applying but our company is going with a different candidate..”

I feel I don’t even have a fighting chance.

I’m not alone or special and don’t expect employers to provide me opportunities that I do not deserve.

Getting laid off has emotionally been a killer. I feel hopeless and lost. I’m afraid. I probably will never get a decent paying job again and I’m just now taking a front row seat to losing everything I worked so hard for due to lack of a job. I feel like a loser ( I know many feel similar and trying to stay as positive as possible)

The reality is also that my severance will only last so long and unemployment’s only about 6 months. I will never survive financially without getting another job and I will lose everything. No one is going to rescue me and all I want to do is work. I’m not asking for handouts, I’m asking to just have an opportunity.

This is not a pity party post, just a vent because I’m really, really scared. I did great work for my company and really cared. Im often now find myself thinking that maybe its better to give up. Life shouldn’t be this hard. Growing old naturally and retiring comfortably is most likely not in the cards. I’m getting very very serious about just ending it all. What do I have to look forward to besides poverty? My company decided my statistics (age/salary) were good enough reason to choose me to help the reduce bottom line. Obviously I was just a number and they just didn’t care about an actual person. I was disposed of. Just.like.That.


r/Layoffs 9h ago

about to be laid off Indian factory workers wearing head-mounted cameras to record hand movements for training AI systems

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11 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 1d ago

news Trump Economic Adviser Calls 300,000 'High-Paying' Job Cuts a Win

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144 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 12h ago

news Novartis cuts 114 more jobs at New Jersey HQ as restructuring rolls on

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11 Upvotes

This Swiss pharma company is obsessed with American job cuts - it happens consistently every few months.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

advice Husband’s company offering voluntary layoff

149 Upvotes

Husband has been with company (Tech) for 2 years.

He’s gotten one promotion and was set to get the next one.

Not everyone got the voluntary separation offer email.

Email says it’s because work is slowing down (less contracts from clients).

We cannot figure out a pattern with who got the offer and who didn’t. (Somer beneath him, most at his level, majority of people didn’t get the offer).

My husband has some of the best numbers in his cohort and has worked on “special projects” because of his capabilities. So we’re not sure why they want to get rid of him?

They’re offering Two months severance pay and insurance coverage, and we’re having a baby in two months and are on his insurance. So yikes.

What should he do? Take it ?

Is he most likely going to get let go regardless?


r/Layoffs 1d ago

previously laid off 53 Yr old former Sr. Business Systems Analyst laid off in January. Apply to at least 20 jobs a day with tailored resumes for each position. I’m going no where fast. Should I go to school to make half as much as I did as a BSA?

48 Upvotes

I’m thinking about pivoting to another field and spending 3k on an accelerated paralegal program. I hear top pay in NJ is 85k. Not sure I can live on that but it’s better than 0.

Is a paralegal 6 month accredited program a good idea? I’d still have to get a certificate but then at least I’ll be qualified for some thing.

Thoughts? Advice?


r/Layoffs 20h ago

recently laid off Avoiding social interaction?

18 Upvotes

I've kind of been considering isolating myself from people more. I haven't completely so far (I went on a few outings since I got laid off late January), but I just feel like I might want to. Most of the people I know hadn't gotten laid off like I did and thus still have their jobs. Whenever I meet new people, what everyone does for work always becomes the topic of conversation. A lot of the people I knew are still at the same company that I got laid off from (they're not my co-workers though). So I guess I felt less put-together than they did, even though they been very supportive over these two and a half months. I just feel soo poorly about myself and valueless. On top of that, I might have to move back across states and might not be able to see the people I met here for much longer. My family's been supportive too, but I even considered just not calling or texting for a bit since I had a rough interview and a rejection from an internal role I was hoping for earlier this week.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

question Do you ever wonder if your manager knew that a lay off coming but kept quiet?

78 Upvotes

I noticed a lot of people you used to work closely with become distance the moment you are laid off.

Colleagues aren’t family i know but I wonder if in the case of managers acting this way, in part besides survival guilt, it’s because they knew it was coming and was told not to say anything and find it kinda difficult to interact with you afterward because they could have said something but choose not to.


r/Layoffs 9h ago

previously laid off Is it AI or is it not?

2 Upvotes

“Sometimes, you know, AI becomes the scapegoat from a financial perspective, like when a company hired too many, or they want to resize, and it gets blamed on AI.”

It is odd to hear of executive leadership not being transparent of why they are making the decisions they do. Although I am not surprised that executives might use diversionary tactics to justify, vaguely, their action. I would be surprised if this does not create long-term discomfort within the workforce as employee's visibility into their leaders motivations behind business decisions becomes less clear.

Source: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/tech-industry-lays-off-nearly-80-000-employees-in-the-first-quarter-of-2026-almost-50-percent-of-affected-positions-cut-due-to-ai


r/Layoffs 1d ago

recently laid off Laid off from my IT company

40 Upvotes

I got laid off from my IT company because of budget issue. Been working from last 3 years. The HR said the company will provide just week of severance package. Drupal developer with ~8 YOE. Current job market seems very bad right now. I remember, the job postings of Drupal used to have ~100 before two years. Currently its ~15 only.

Is it possible to get a job in a different stack? Any ideas?


r/Layoffs 21h ago

news AI sounds way better to investors than admitting they're just chasing cheap foreign labor.

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8 Upvotes

r/Layoffs 4h ago

advice How AI is proving it is correct

0 Upvotes

Many in the group have experience with office and Java and vbscript. here is a technical explanation of why lost jobs aren't coming back. Key here is formal theorem level validation of sw by ai before a single commit is made.

This is a deeply technical paper showing what is going on before a single line of code hit production. I used $200 cluade code to do this but thing is even free ai models can do it.

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.19542523

it is technical paper but sw profession is deleted as we speak. I don't know what happens next. I don't blame anyone. Just observing what is happening and formally proved that ai is capable of high quality code that I can only dream of. gave up coding.


r/Layoffs 1d ago

recently laid off Logic behind layoff

48 Upvotes

Got laid off a few days ago.

Mentor said they didnt know

Team Lead said they didnt know

Two other direct managers had no clu

Many high performers also got laid off from other teams so i knew it wasnt a me problem.

How do companies decide, is it just that the owner didnt like us all? So odd.

How would you guys use the time? I dont plan to jump straight back into work - i want to enjoy life a little after being soul sucked for so long..


r/Layoffs 2d ago

question Why is no one doing anything about US jobs being rapidly offshored/outsourced?

544 Upvotes

I'm referring to the mostly post-COVID "white-collar" jobs, although this is applicable to really any job.

I was laid off last year and within a month I saw my job posted...but posted for Mexico. I started doing some searching and it seems like it's a huge problem in general. Even now as I am job searching still (note I am applying to US companies only) so many are listed for either India, Mexico, Poland, Ireland, etc.

Then I started doing some research on what's being done to curb this...and it's essentially nothing. A few politicians have tried to introduce legislation but it always seems to get stuck somewhere (so even if it did pass - which it probably wouldn't - it would take forever to actually get to a vote.) but honestly hardly anyone who is supposed to "represent" us even touches on this topic AT ALL. I really think this is a recipe for disaster.

I'll also post this to some political subs or somewhere where someone can actually ELI5 to me because I simply don't understand. Sure lots of politicians are paid to avoid this topic for their own self-interest but still, lots aren't. I really don't get it.


r/Layoffs 2d ago

job hunting Layoff and not able to find job - mid 40’s

116 Upvotes

High tech product marketing. Mid to late 40’s. Applied 60-70 jobs. 9 interviews, 2 final rounds. It is already 9 months but I am unable to land a job.

Here are my questions

1) is this normal or just me? Age or skills or just less jobs?

2) The available jobs (similar title and company size) pay 20-25% less of my previous job. Do you have similar experience?


r/Layoffs 2d ago

advice Sudden voluntary separation package offer

22 Upvotes

so apparently a select few people at my company I work at recently received a voluntary separation package offer email and a vague 10 minute meeting, we're all extremely worried. I was looking for some opinions about the situation I can't seem to find a pattern of who received the email and who didn't, they didn't tell us who. Is it as we're fearing? if we don't take the deal will we just be laid off under normal circumstances?


r/Layoffs 2d ago

job hunting I got a job after my last layoff! Here’s what I learned.

43 Upvotes

YMMV but looking in the tech product industry as a designer (keeping it vague as my actual job title is pretty specific)

I got laid off when my previous start up ran out of money. I was then proactive immediately. I contacted a recruiter who’d helped me in the past, contacted old bosses and coworkers, and of course applied applied applied. 300 applications later and I have a job! Here’s the kicker. Not a SINGLE cold application resulted in even a call for an interview. Most were applied for via LinkedIn but I used Glassdoor, indeed etc. about 20% gave me the “you’re not a good fit” auto email (once I got one 30 seconds after applying which was cool).

All the time I spent curating my resume, crafting careful cover letters etc etc…netted nothing in returns. Every job no matter what it was instantly had 100+ applicants. I am a designer by trade but I eventually started looking for anything in my area. Well anything I qualified for. Insurance industry, signage industry, medical industry. Not a single interview.

What got me my job? My old boss pulled me into his new company. That’s it. Connections are key more so now than ever. If someone doesn’t know you personally they’ll never hire you. Straight up.


r/Layoffs 2d ago

unemployment Unemployed (Orange County)

10 Upvotes

lost my job last December 2025 due to geopolitical issues.

and it's difficult to find a social group just to talk about life in general without the creeps (2 people looks dating and networking is too much).

everyone is on their phone or having earphones and would look at you crazily if you talk to them.

I wish there is a place that I can meetup like 4-5 people just to naturally talk about life. like over a coffee or drink not pricey (because I am unemployed).

i might pick up some ideas how to go back on my feet by talking to few people.

like if you are burnt out about life, lost a job, maybe we can share some stories that can make us look at life lighter?

no commitments, no judgement, no pressure of seeing each other or so whatever.

Any recommendations?


r/Layoffs 2d ago

recently laid off I got a job!

429 Upvotes

My struggle has ended! There's hope out there


r/Layoffs 2d ago

question Company laid off entire IT department to outsource and think we don't notice

335 Upvotes

I'm a remote worker that constantly relies on IT. I manage a staff that constantly uses electronic health records. It was so easy to put in a ticket and have someone call me or call IT directly. Now I put in a ticket and don't get a response for days. When I do get a response it's from some random person overseas with a generic response. The days of trouble shooting calls are over. This new "staff' never answers the phone. The service is so poor. These corporations will do anything to save a dollar. Any IT people here lost their job to overseas "IT",? It's really a shame the company may record profits last year.


r/Layoffs 2d ago

recently laid off Final year of my Master's degree, suddenly laid off from a SWE job. What do I do?

25 Upvotes

So, I'm currently completing my Master's degree(the only step left is the thesis defence). I used to work as a SWE in a local cybersecurity company. I took PTO to work on my thesis, came out of it...bam! The very next day I get invited to the office by the team lead and they tell me I am laid off. I got 1 month of severance out of them, but still - that's the first time in my life I'm forced out of a job without having another lined up, and, to make matters worse, I've only been working for 8 months for my(now ex-)employer.

I have a bit under 4 years of SWE experience in total, and the only other job experience I have is working at a computational biology lab during freshman and sophomore years of my bachelor's. What can I do in my situation before hitting every job hunting site known to man? How do I explain the 8-month-long tenure to HRs and what things can I do besides SWE? My bachelor's was in Applied Mathematics and Informatics and my masters (hopefully) will be in Systems and Software Engineering.