Serial Layoffs Become Normal

Across 2025, rolling job cuts have hit workers repeatedly—sometimes three or four times in as many years. Recruiters say budget resets, AI-driven restructuring, and higher rates mean companies are pruning in waves rather than in one-offs. Fresh tallies show thousands of tech roles trimmed in early September alone.

Reinvention Playbook

Workers describe the same cycle: shock, regrouping, and a hard pivot. Many are stacking micro-credentials, freelancing across time zones, or jumping to operational roles where automation is slower to bite. Career coaches push a few basics—portfolio proof of impact, targeted referrals, and a 30-60-90 plan for interviews—to shorten the gap between paychecks.

What the Data Says

Tracking sites count tens of thousands of layoffs this year across tech, retail, and logistics, extending a multiyear trend. Research warns earnings can suffer for years after a layoff, especially in cities with higher job destruction. The longer a gap runs, the steeper the hit—one reason repeat layoffs feel harsher.

A Hard Reset, Not the End

For those cut multiple times, community support and structured routines matter as much as résumé tweaks. The workers who bounce back fastest, coaches say, treat job-hunting like a project—with goals, metrics, and rest days to avoid burnout.