Landing a job in today’s market is extremely easy – said no one ever. As young professionals struggle to find a well-paying job that compensates them fairly, there are others still confused about whether to take the gamble of upskilling at the cost of their current jobs. On the other hand, there is a section in India that has achieved the ‘social media dream’ and earns a month of an average employee’s salary by posting a short-form video. This parity in employment trends boils down to the decision-makers – the companies actually hiring the workforce.
A recent study from Glassdoor, the 2026 Worklife Trends Report, revealed the new trends in the workplace, shaping the corporate environment. Finding an overall increase in misalignment, disconnect, and distrust, it placed great emphasis on the upcoming mass layoffs. With tech giants like Microsoft, Infosys, Amazon, and Atlassian announcing multiple rounds of firing, the Glassdoor report noted some patterns.
The ‘Forever Layoff Trend’
As per the report, the power has gradually shifted back to the employers. “They have applied more pressure to workers with unpopular decisions, from layoffs to return-to-office policies,” read the report amid the AI-boom, heading towards a complete takeover.
The Forever Layoff trend points to small layoffs (less than 50 employees) becoming the most common type. They have risen from 38% in 2015 to 51% over the decade by 2025. The report reveals that it will only fuel worker anxiety, as it is expected to persist in 2026. Forever Layoffs simply mean employers executing smaller but regular layoffs instead of sudden and large cuts. On the other hand, rolling layoffs may even provide the employer a way to reduce headcount without making headlines. But all it does is “create cultures of anxiety, insecurity, and resentment at companies.”
The report also pointed out that layoffs in 2025 are back to pre-pandemic levels after they dropped historically low in 2021-22. It makes it worse for the laid-off workers, who struggle to find a job in the low-hire market. It is likely that ‘mini’ layoffs saw an increasing trend since a company does not require filings for firing less than 50 employees.
Source: Glassdoor’s Worklife Trends 2026 Report
Layoffs are also popularly seen as a cost-cutting measure. Trimming payrolls and dropping expenses went hand-in-hand. “While serial layoffs may fly under the radar, they don’t fool the employees who take on more work afterwards and wonder if they might be next. The persistent drag from forever layoffs are likely to damage worker morale and workplace culture in 2026 and beyond,” reported Glassdoor.
