This might be the year of the layoff

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This might be the year of the layoff — but there are ways you can survive
The federal government isn't the only employer purging. Major companies are also letting workers go

By Melanie Lockert
Published May 3, 2025 5:30AM (EDT)


(Salon) After two years of working as a writer at a prominent personal finance website, Tiffany Lashai Curtis was laid off in July 2024. Thrown back into the job market, Curtis only received a handful of interviews from her 200 applications and ended up seeking public assistance like SNAP, Medicaid and unemployment benefits.

“Being unemployed and having to search for a job in such a cruel job market has definitely deepened my anxiety and depression that I've been navigating for a while,” Curtis said.

She recently found a job — but as is the case for many Americans, the search was exhausting, frustrating and longer than expected. According to the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics data, as of February it took an average of 21.3 weeks to find a job. However, nearly 21% of people were unemployed for at least 27 weeks.

Year of the layoff?

As economic uncertainty rises and companies worry about the effect of President Trump's tariffs, major companies are letting go of employees. Starbucks, Southwest Airlines and Google have all laid off employees this year. UPS said it will cut 20,000 jobs as it trims its Amazon business and increases its use of technology. ................(more)

https://www.salon.com/2025/05/03/this-might-be-the-year-of-the-layoff--but-there-are-ways-you-can-survive/