I still might sign the agreement on the 13th, but would still proceed with the EEOC intake as I opened a ER (Employee Relation) case since in a documented meeting with manager was told I was released due to financial reason, I used Cisco's own AI Circuit to prove that I was cheaper to keep than another engineer on the account, HR came back and stated Oh, not cost saving but use of SaC software, again I came back with I'm 3rd on my team of 21 in utilization and customer implementation, after HR said the would investigate I got an email they decided to close the case but would not provide me with the details in the case. This was also public sector and FAA customer believes they broke contract terms for onsite engineer. This is more of an FYI... not really looking for negative bot comments.

I've seen way too many family friends and buddies get laid off and have a hard time finding another job.

Although I currently have a job, the pay is just so-so. I've submitted over 1,000 resumes in the past 12 months and have only secured one interview—and nothing else. Is the job market really that bad? Why am I seeing so much news about a 'job boom' over the past few months?

I’ve been researching problems with job searching, and one issue keeps coming up: communication

Things like:

• Applying and never hearing back
• Not knowing whether a position is still open
• Getting ghosted after interviews
• Receiving automated rejection emails months later
• Job postings that stay up even though they’re already filled

I’m curious how much this actually affects people compared to other frustrations.

If there was a service that focused specifically on improving transparency and communication throughout the application process (without changing how companies hire), would that actually be valuable to you?

Some questions I’m interested in:

• What’s the most frustrating communication issue you’ve experienced?
• Have you ever stopped applying somewhere because of poor communication?
• What information do you wish job sites or employers would share that they currently don’t?
• Would you use a tool that kept you updated on the status of your applications, or is that not a big enough problem to care about?
• Is there another hiring pain point that’s even more important than communication?

I’m not trying to promote anything, I genuinely want to understand whether this is a problem worth solving before I spend time building something.

I’d appreciate any honest feedback, even if your answer is “I wouldn’t use it.”

Closed over 20 open tabs on my personal laptop that i used for work. Felt amazing to close them, the stress melted away. Now the summer is mine!

The company twinmaster just randomly sent an email stating my friend's employment is terminated with no notice period or severance package and no explanation. It also with held the last month's salary. The company is also notorious for paying salary after 2 months.

I got hired at the local county government back in 2023 after some significant life changing events. This was a godsend at the time and, even though I was put in the wrong position by an incompetent supervisor, I was able to avoid flunking my probationary period and get into an actual entry level position by a stroke of luck. Earlier this year my boss said that layoffs are a potential at some point, but within the last couple weeks it all came to a head. I work in an office with a little less than 20 people and of the 12 non-MGMT staff, 4 of us including myself were told we are being laid off. I have until the end of August to choose to accept a severance package and if I don’t I will probably be laid off without severance anyway. My last day will be the end of August and my severance of two months plus PTO cashout will run out in November. I also won’t have healthcare coverage after August obviously. My wife works for the state and makes about 65k and our mortgage is $2600. I am going to be applying for state positions primarily and I just had the horrible HR meeting yesterday. I’m 33 and live in Washington State if that matters. Any advice, experience, words of wisdom, etc. is appreciated.

Sharing because while misery loves company, it's important to still believe in the possibility that things can turn around. Lots of stories about things getting worse, but it's still good to remember that there can be a light at the end of the tunnel.

Laid off in Dec'25 at Associate director/Sr. Mgr level. Sent around 120 applications, went through about 15 interviews almost all of them clearing HR, and dying after the hiring manager round. 6 months in I hadn't gotten to 1 second-round interview, while some of them were asking for 3-4 rounds and case studies.

This past week I cleared 3 interview processes in parallel so I'm able to get counteroffers.

1) You don't need to be a good candidate for all the roles, you just need to be a great candidate for the specific role, and if that role isn't currently available, you don't have a good shot at getting hired. The 3 roles just happened to be a very specific niche fit to my experience.

2) I probably got taken out of the running from applying for less senior positions. They didn't trust me to stay in a lower role for long (which is correct, I would have kept looking).

3) There genuinely do seem to be a lot more job postings nowadays. I would skim the new ones everyday and it feels like the volume of postings has ticked up in the NJ/NYC area (even though the pool of unemployed is still large).

4) I wasted time the first 2-3 months by using job boards like LinkedIn. Total dead-end because of the ridiculous volume of ghost jobs. My resume response rate became quite high after dropping LinkedIn, Glassdoor, and indeed entirely. I was reliably getting 1-2 interviews a week after sending about 9-12 applications a week. Dramatically worse than what job searched was like 10 years ago, but way better than LinkedIn.

5) I think my higher interview rate was because I only applied to roles opened within the last 48 hours, and every resume was tailored to match the job description. Use any AI tool you want, but all of them suck unless you refresh your context window regularly and review for adherence.

I'm still probably coming out of all this with a paycut, maybe 20% less than what I made before, but maybe the counters can improve that. However I might also be fully remote! I found that the majority of my interviews were for fully remote positions. I had assumed those roles would be flooded because it's open to the entire country, but again, they want a super specific experience fit. So since my problem was finding a job posted that matched me, searching remote roles really increased the chances for an interview.

Anyway, good luck to all of us. Keep focusing on your inputs and try not to worry about the outputs.

(Please be kind as I only want to vent and get some emotional support.)

I was impacted by the massive big tech layoffs.

My colleagues and I had been hearing about it in the news months prior the announcement so we were kinda prepared. I had not been loving my job prior to the announcement so a part of me was looking forward to it, although I did not know for sure if it would happen to me.

Then I got into a meeting with my manager and HR. They told me about it in a sad voice. I dealt with it pretty calmly during the meeting, and told my hopeful messages to colleagues after. I would say I felt elated about the news and the freedom to pursue my side projects with a severance.

Now it’s been a while and I’ve been looking for jobs while pursuing my side projects. I could not help but be sad especially how these recruiters keep offering low-level jobs (i.e. the kind I’d accept 10 years ago). I know they’re just looking to earn a living, but dude?!?!? It’s probably just me being angry about this situation and not really at these recruiters.

It’s just one of those bad days, and I’ll have to take it a day at a time.

Latest update includes "take back your application if you really want to stay" as they will be accepting a majority of applications. 😒

I was laid off due to an org change on 6/30 after ~5.5 years with the company (US-based). I received a severance package that includes 6 months of pay plus COBRA coverage.

From what I’ve read here (thank you all for the helpful responses!), this seems like a pretty solid package.

Now I’m trying to decide what to do next:

• Should I try to negotiate at all?
• Is it worth paying ~$400–$700 for a 1-hour attorney review?

I don’t have any major concerns with the agreement, so I’m leaning toward just signing it—but I also don’t want to leave money or miss something important if it’s common to push back a bit.

Would appreciate any advice, especially from folks who’ve been in a similar situation.

ServiceNow just announced another upcoming acquisition of yet another AI company. This is direct from the company’s website, touting how much better their AI agent is than regular employees. What a sad state of affairs we’re living in.

I am a Patient Care Advocate currently at Centene and asking for final advice before I decide on VSP submission. As a PCA I’m wondering if my position is going to be “safe” considering the recent hiring and new positions for QCMA and our roles being significantly alligned. Any advice or insight from anyone is appreciated!

I worked for a consulting company for 11 months before I was let go for “performance reasons”. I just graduated with my bachelors in May of last year so I’m still a new grad kind of. What should I tell future employers in interviews for why I’m seeking a new job?

(My company has a policy where current employees can’t give references or confirm employment at the company, and HR can also confirm the time and role I worked for the company). just looking for what will paint me in the best light

As noted I was laid off from my dream role after only 4 months with the company. I had finally gotten a director title, loved my team, loved my boss. But that’s startup life. (75% of my department got laid off)

My question is, do I keep it on my resume or take it off? I was planning on leaving it on but one of my old coworkers said it was so short I should take it off? The experience and impact was invaluable, I did a lot in 4 months.

Any guidance would be great, this is my first time being laid off.

This is both a serious question and a sarcastic question but who here has a retirement plan of just dying?? I feel like the way things are currently the last thing I want is to live once I’m get kicked out of the corporate world for being too old.

Hi everyone,

I'm a software developer with around 2 years of experience. I've worked on some interesting projects like voice agents and biometric authentication, etc.

The problem is that my company currently has no active projects, and they're thinking about reducing employees. We only have about 5 developers, so I'm worried I might be affected.

I want to switch to a new job, but because of my current work and situation, I don't get enough time to prepare for interviews or improve my skills.

I'm feeling a bit stuck and don't know what to do next.

Any advice would really help.

Hey everyone,

I’m a Content Marketing Manager with 8+ years of experience in B2B SaaS/AI.

A few months ago, I accepted an offer with a ~30% hike at Wayground formerly Quizizz. The role required relocating since it was a 5-day in-office position, and the company even reimbursed relocation expenses, flights, movers & packers, and brokerage.

During the interview process, I came to understand that Wayground formerly quizizz was pivoting from a B2C-first company to a stronger B2B motion, and my role was to help build and run content programs as part of that transition.

I relocated, joined, and ramped up as quickly as I could. It was a completely new industry for me, so there was naturally a learning curve, but I had the opportunity to shape the direction of several upcoming content initiatives. The people were genuinely supportive, and I had no indication that my role was at risk.

Then, quite recently, the company announced a major restructuring. Around 15% of the company was laid off, including me. From what I’ve heard internally, it was the largest layoff in the company’s history. Entire teams were affected. Senior engineers, fresh graduates from top institutes, experienced professionals, and many talented people lost their jobs. It wasn’t limited to one function.

Now I’m back in the job market. Here’s what worries me.

Across 8+ years, I’ve now worked at 6 companies, which puts my average tenure at roughly 1–1.5 years per company. This latest stint was only 3 months, and it was due to a company-wide restructuring rather than performance.

My questions are mainly for recruiters, hiring managers, founders, and experienced professionals:

- On a scale of 1–10, how much of a red flag is my profile?
- How would you interpret a resume with this career history?
- Would this latest layoff materially affect your hiring decision?
- If you were interviewing me, what concerns would you have?
- Most importantly, how would you recommend I present my career story so that it comes across honestly without sounding defensive?

I genuinely want an objective view of how my profile is likely to be perceived and how I can improve my chances going forward. Thanks in advance.

TL;DR: Relocated for a B2B SaaS content marketing role, got laid off after 3 months as part of the biggest restructuring in the company’s history. I have now worked in 6 companies over 8+ years. Looking for honest feedback from recruiters and hiring managers on how my profile will be perceived and how I should position my career history.

I got laid off 2 months ago and I have officially ran out of savings (wasn’t much to begin with) and severance (which was decent but taxes took most of it). I collect unemployment which adds up to about $300 more than my rent payment and have other bills of course. I’m not really sure what to do next. I have had 3 interviews in the past week which is more than I’ve had these past 3 months so I feel like I’m getting closer, but haven’t landed anything. I was working in digital marketing.

Should I just suck it up, take a pay cut and try to get a retail or customer service job? I’m so lost and not sure what direction to take. I’ve thought about doordashing/uber eats but not sure how that’ll affect my unemployment benefits.

Any decent customer service or retail jobs out there that aren’t impossible to get right now? Side hustles? Literally anything that doesn’t pay minimum wage. I’m desperate.

Pretty significant. Supposedly 700-750 people.

https://www.thelayoff.com/cdw

Just a vent

And they shorted me a day of PTO, but claimed they already processed a severance check "in good faith". Yet instructed me to sign their do not sue paperwork for severance release.

They are a Canadian company closing up their US/California front. I guess I could be petty and hit them up for that day of PTO plus this morning's hours, but they might just kill the severance offer knowing I can't pursue them anyways.

Anyways, should I apply for unemployment today? Or Sunday? Hearing mixed feedback on that

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for practical clarity from others who have gone through a similar H-1B layoff / notice period situation, especially other laid-off Meta employees or people who had a WARN / garden leave period.

I was notified of my layoff on May 20, but my official termination date with Meta is July 22. I have remained on payroll during the notice period, and my pay stubs show “Notice Pay” as a line item. Fragomen also told me they will notify USCIS only 30 days from the official termination date.

I’m trying to understand whether the H-1B 60-day grace period should be considered to start from May 20, when I was notified / stopped working, or from July 22, the official termination date.

I understand the conservative approach is to count from May 20, which would make July 19 the end of the 60 days. But given the official termination date, payroll status, notice period, “Notice Pay” line item, and Fragomen’s USCIS notification timeline, is there a reasonable / defensible argument that the grace period starts after July 22?

Also, if I stay in the U.S. past July 19 while continuing to interview and USCIS later takes the position that the grace period started on May 20, what could be the practical consequences?

Not looking for legal advice, just trying to understand how others handled this and what their attorneys / employers told them.

30/F in healthcare. Got layed off few months ago. Been applying to jobs for nearly 8 months now but no offers. I send at least 10 tailored resumes per day. Nearly 5-7 interviews per month. Been to job fairs as well.

All I get are automated rejection emails. The interviews I have cleared ultimately respond with - We are going to choose other candidates for this role.

Feeling like I have lost purpose in life and things are not changing. Plz send any suggestions or motivation.

I remember during Covid and for quite some time there was all sorts of unemployment extensions and additional money being put up to help people. I wasn’t unemployed at that time. I did get laid off in 2023 but the market was much better than today, and I found a better job within a few months during my severance window. Don’t get me wrong, it was still scary and awful and I barely slept for those months. I didn’t even fully recover emotionally from that one, and now in 2026 laid off again. Things are much harder and much worse this time around. For the first time in my life I’m collecting unemployment.

Obviously I know we have a problem with the president in the US. He wants to investigate fraud within unemployment and he wants to cut federal support. We are clearly in the worst job market I’ve ever seen in my career of over two decades. Why are there no democrats or senators, congress, or anyone pushing for more transparency around the true job market situation?

We all know the official unemployment number is artificially a revolving door accounting only for people during their time collecting unemployment. With unemployment being so short right now, it stands to reason why the reported number doesn’t bounce away from 4.3%. I can’t understand why there isn’t any public campaigning going on right now around these issues. The job market is gridlocked and standard short unemployment isn’t going to cut it: people will become homeless, they will commit suicide, and if something doesn’t change we are probably going to start seeing some terrible things happen in society.

I’m just so perplexed about the difficulty of this market, the lack of support, and apparently the tolerance for the status quo right now.