Widespread Layoffs are Happening Everywhere - and We Should All Be Terrified

In the past, when companies executed large-scale layoffs affecting hundreds or thousands of employees, the event, while devastating, marked a clear conclusion for those impacted, allowing them to move forward. Today, however, many workers face what experts are calling forever layoffs or rolling layoffs, where employees are dismissed in smaller, repeated waves over time.

Recent data from Glassdoor shows that layoffs involving fewer than 50 employees now represent the majority of notices under the WARN Act, making up 51% in 2025, up from 38% in 2015. These smaller, continuous layoffs allow companies to quietly reduce staff without drawing significant public attention.

Daniel Zhao, Glassdoors chief economist, notes that the job market remains sluggish. As companies seek to cut costs, we expect this trend of continuous layoffs to persist, he said. The smaller scale of these firings can help firms avoid the negative media coverage often associated with large layoffs.

Journalist Melanie Ehrenkranz, who reports on layoffs for her Substack Laid Off, observes a growing pattern of solitary layoffs. She hears from individuals who are terminated alone or with just one or two colleagues, sometimes after months of smaller layoffs at their company. These small-scale firings allow firms to operate under the radar, avoiding viral headlines on social media or news outlets.

Harvard Business School professor Sandra Sucher believes the trend is more about uncertainty in the labor market than media optics. She points to factors such as evolving job roles due to automation, AI, and economic fluctuations. Companies struggle to determine how many employees are needed as job responsibilities shift, she explains.

The Unique Harms of Rolling Layoffs

While any layoff is a profound disruption, rolling layoffs carry unique emotional and organizational costs. Ehrenkranz explains that employees miss out on the support of a larger group of peers. Without a cohort of colleagues experiencing the same situation, individuals lose the chance to compare notes, share experiences, and process the event collectively.

Sucher highlights longer-term impacts on the workforce that remains. Anxiety and uncertainty can reduce employees willingness to take risks, innovate, or go above and beyond in their roles. Companies that hope to improve efficiency through rolling layoffs may inadvertently undermine productivity due to the resulting fear and disengagement among staff.

To counteract these effects, Sucher suggests providing strong re-employment support and resources to those affected. Zhao adds that while companies justify ongoing layoffs as efficiency measures, the resulting stress and instability often decrease overall productivity.

Personal Stories Highlight the Toll

San Francisco resident Laura Holland, just 25, has experienced multiple layoffs in tech and government roles. After being laid off from Google in 2023 and her paralegal position at the Department of Justice this year, Holland now works as a dog walker and youth basketball coach while exploring content creation. She explains that these experiences have reshaped her view of corporate jobs and personal fulfillment. The constant layoffs make me focus more on investing in myself, in ways that cant be taken away, she says.

Hollands story reflects a broader generational impact, with many young workers facing repeated layoffs early in their careers, altering how they perceive work, loyalty, and career security.

Conclusion

Endless layoffs are more than just a numbers gamethey reshape workplaces, undermine trust, and create long-term uncertainty for employees. As rolling layoffs continue, workers and companies alike must grapple with the emotional, social, and economic consequences of a labor market where no position feels truly secure.

Author: Chloe Ramirez