It's a rolling layoff world
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Welcome to the world of the "forever layoff." Companies are increasingly making cuts year-round in small batches rather than big sweeping firings.
Why it matters: The smaller batches of layoffs let businesses make changes and shift strategies without attracting scrutiny — and they normalize layoffs as a typical part of work. But they still put people out of jobs and make workers super anxious.
Zoom out: These "silent layoffs" are now just a part of doing business. That's different from a decade ago, says Chris Martin, lead researcher at Glassdoor, who identified the trend in a new report for the workplace review site.
- Of course, a layoff, no matter the size, is still painful for those losing their job. Morale and productivity often take a hit after a reduction.
The big picture: The labor market is slowing, hiring is down, and there's an increasing nervousness about AI taking people's jobs.
Between the lines: The whole situation is a recipe for persistent worker anxiety. Separate data from Glassdoor finds that an increasing share of reviews on the website mention words like "layoff" and "job insecurity."
- The prevalence of those keywords is higher now than in March 2020 — when the pandemic struck, and many lost their jobs.
- Perhaps it's not surprising then that employee well-being hit a new low last year, per a study of thousands of businesses released this week from the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School.
By the numbers: Small layoffs, of fewer than 50 employees, are now the most common type.
- In 2015 these micro-firings made up 38% of layoffs. Now, it's 51%, according to Glassdoor's analysis of WARN Act notices, where companies announce closures and layoffs
- These numbers likely understate the trend — since smaller firms don't have to report firings and not all states have strict reporting requirements.
Yes, but: If the economy deteriorates further, you'll likely start to see more big layoffs. Verizon recently announced a massive chop of 15,000 jobs — it's biggest reduction ever.
Small isn't invisible. Employees know what's happening, as their colleagues vanish.
- "While serial layoffs may fly under the radar, they don't fool the employees who take on more work afterwards and wonder if they might be next," per the Glassdoor report.
The bottom line: "The persistent drag from forever layoffs are likely to damage worker morale and workplace culture in 2026 and beyond," the report projects.
