Layoffs often indicate lack of growth - might be harder to grow professionally, or get promoted.

Also saving money on hiring often means saving money in general and elsewhere too, worsening quality of life.

In particular projects can get canceled, priorities shifted, grind increased, privileges revoked, remote work banned, etc.

People who have the option to leave might do just that.

Layoffs could also mean trimming the dead weight at the company that is sitting around and collecting paychecks, which in my experience is super common in california tech. Hit L4/L5, attend that weekly standups, and rest and vest till 50, then FAT FIRE and move to New Zealand

Unless you’re the one conducting layoffs, what you think is dead weight and what people conducting layoffs think is dead weight might be different people.

Plus that L4/L5 employee might look stellar on paper. Or even be stellar, just not very vocal about what they’re doing.

> Layoffs often indicate lack of growth

I thought that was true as well but the tech layoffs that have been happening have all been about being leaner to grow faster. Look at Meta, for example, that did layoffs in spite of massive continuous growth.

For a lot of people going through a first layoff, it would be shocking. This company that keeps telling them they are all family here just cut x% of them. Its a slap in the face and makes them understand that there is no loyalty from the business to the employee so why be loyal to the business?

This drives people to take a more mercenary approach to work and look for better pay elsewhere.