In many ways, Worker Still from Pandemic.
After several years of turmoil, worrying about what will happen next will lead to more employees suffering Retirement anxiety.
According to a 2025 survey of 1,000 Americans by Clarify Capital, one-third of adults have anxiety about layoffs. This particularly affects young workers: in Generation Z, the share of layoff anxiety jumped to 40%.
“Economic uncertainty and high-profile layoffs are increasing anxiety despite the strong job market,” said Michael Baynes, co-founder and CEO of Clarfie Capital.
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This concern is also shaping how employees view their work. Report discovery. Now, more than two-thirds of workers will estimate career security rather than career growth, while nearly one-third will cut their salaries by 10% to 20% to avoid being fired.
“Having stability rather than job availability is the main reason for stress in the workplace today,” Baines said.
In another Ziprecruiter survey of job seekers’ confidence, most workers said they would be fired 25% over the next six months, even if the actual share of the sacked each month is much smaller. To Ziprecruiter’s chief economist Julia Pollak. According to the latest, the number of layoffs in December was only 1.8 million. Investigation on Vacancy and Artificial Loss.
“This shows that there is a high level of anxiety about layoffs,” she said.
Why are workers worried
Workers are still recovering from shock Severe special infectious pneumonia pandemicaccording to Pollak. between March and April 2020“22 million workers were fired,” she said, “a recent harsh experience.”
In fact, there has been a huge shift in the U.S. job market since then.
After the pandemic, employers are eager to hire. Vacancies Up to historic level, unemployment It fell to its lowest point since the late 1960s. Wage growth Their fastest speed in decades. The final pace employment Slowed down, but Layoffs Keep it low according to historical standards.
As of recent statistics, although overall the labor market is strong Work growth Signs of slowing down are being shown.
“The job market provides at least some guarantees for a time being at a time of high uncertainty and volatility,” said Mark Hamrick, senior economic analyst at Bankrate.
this Exit rate It is another important indicator of job seekers’ confidence Allison Shrivastava is actually an economist at the work site.
“When workers are confident in their ability to find another job, they tend to feel more comfortable,” she said.
After a sharp riseResign“Between 2021 and 2022, exit rates fell with the pullback of recruitment and job openings. In September, the quit rate fell and is now only 2%.
“Whenever you’re shocked by the labor market, this dust takes some time to solve,” Shrivastava said of the workers’ emotions.
“Nevertheless, there are reasons to stay optimistic now – a lot has happened in such a short time, which is amazing, and we still have a strong labor market foundation.”
“Whether you are anxious about layoffs will depend on which department you are in,” Shrivastava said.
Healthcare and retail Yes some Highlights According to the latest work report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, professional and commercial services, as well as leisure and hospitality, show signs of weakness.
How to conquer the anxiety of layoffs
“If you think you have the potential to be fired, you may be frozen due to fear or concentrated due to fear,” said Ivan Misner, founder of the business network organization BNI. This is a framework for thinking structure that makes a difference.”
“The layoff anxiety is inevitable, everyone will have it, and the question is how you will deal with it,” Misner said.
According to Clarify Capital’s Baynes, transparency plays a crucial role in combating layoff anxiety.
“Workers who know about the financial situation of a company and restructuring plans tend to experience lower levels of anxiety,” he said.
Misner said employees can (and should) leverage any resources provided by employers, such as exit services and resume building and connect with business contacts.
“A very strong network can increase your chances of ensuring new roles quickly,” he said. “The recommendations are very powerful when it comes to finding a job.”
Career adaptability is also key, Baines added. There are more opportunities for workers in light of continuing education courses, online courses, certification programs and boot camps Ramp Improve their expertise to stay competitive.
It is equally important to lean towards your own financial health. “Managing layoff anxiety starts with financial preparation – building a critical safety net that saves and reduces debt can provide.”
