Did you know that a “pink slip” doesn’t just refer to getting fired? It’s also slang for your vehicle’s title! 🚗 In California in the 80s, car titles were printed on pink paper. How rosy. 🌸
What’s not-so-rosy? All these layoffs hitting the headlines. 😔 We’ve all heard about the big ones, but what if companies start cutting all year round in a smaller way? Yeah, we’re onto you and your games. 👀
Here’s Five Fast Facts on rolling layoffs:
- 🤏 Small But Mighty - Big layoffs create big splashes, and companies know this. Researchers have now spotted a new trend: silent layoffs. Instead of laying off in large numbers at once, they cut smaller groups of people over time to try to fly under the radar.
- 💼 Say Less - What’s the most common flavor of silent layoffs? Those with less than 50 employees at a time. Back in 2015, 38% of layoffs were the smaller type. Now, that’s risen to 51%.
- 🧹 Under the Rug - The bad news? Smaller layoffs are likely underreported. Unlike the big guys, smaller companies aren’t required to report their cuts. Also, some states have stricter reporting requirements than others.
- 🧑💻 Search & Rescue - As fears of AI and a poopy labor market keep people up at night, folks are taking to the internet. According to data from Glassdoor, keywords like “layoff” and “job insecurity” are higher today than they were back in 2020.
- 💡 Catching On - They think they’re slick with the tiny fires, but employees aren’t dumb. For the people who survive any size chop, morale goes through the floor. As we head into 2026, workers are gonna need a heroic dose of positivity to stay productive.
🔥Bottom line: Large or small, the buzz of incoming layoffs gives everyone the willies. As the big name brands continue to lay off in droves, we’ll continue to keep the pulse. Curious to know how AI is impacting Amazon’s latest cuts? We’ve got an article for that: check it out here.
Caught up in a recent layoff?
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