It’s time to talk about a troublesome trend: the “forever” layoffs. In 2025, layoffs of massive scale have grabbed our attention and dominated the headlines, sparking debates over the shifting future of employment. While these large-scale layoffs have been difficult to process, continuous smaller layoffs have also been occurring under the surface, causing a consistent stream of employees to lose their jobs. Glassdoor estimates that small layoffs of less than 50 workers have been the most common type of cuts, accounting for 51% of layoffs in 2025. More worryingly, the platform predicts that this rolling layoff trend will continue into 2026.
“Forever” layoffs refer to the trend of continuous, small-scale job cuts that employers have resorted to, with the data suggesting a continuation in 2026. (Image: Pexels)
Facing the Incoming Flood of Forever Layoffs: The Job Cuts Are Not Slowing Down
Setting the stage for the expected evolutions of the workplace next year, Glassdoor’s Worklife Trends 2026 report laid out some theories for us to peruse. Among the many points that the report brought up, the suggestion of forever layoffs has workers most worried. It appears that employers are increasingly relying on small-scale layoffs to cut their numbers down, returning to the strategy with greater frequency rather than turning to big, comprehensive cuts.
Filing WARN notices is essential for large-scale layoffs, but when fewer than 50 people are eliminated, not all states require a filing to be made. This allows more businesses to get away without necessarily bringing the layoffs to light. The report found that 51% of businesses have resorted to rolling layoffs as part of this trend, which is a steep rise from the 38% of similar layoffs in 2015. These continuous, small-scale layoffs are expected to continue into 2026.
Resorting to such “forever” layoffs allows businesses to keep the job cuts quiet without grabbing too much attention, with the general public none the wiser about their internal workings. While this strategy allows businesses to consistently downsize and meet their operational needs with a smaller workforce, it also has a damaging effect on employees.
Layoff Anxiety Among Workers Remains High
These slow-bleed layoffs may be an ideal strategy for business leaders who want to keep their headcount under control, but layoff anxiety among workers is on the rise. After a layoff is conducted, employees who get to stay experience some degree of guilt over having their jobs, but most are able to refocus their attention back onto work and revel in the feeling of job security.
The trends of rolling layoffs don’t allow employees to experience any respite from the anxiety over additional cuts, leaving them strained and on high alert. With the threat of additional cuts looming over them, workers are left waiting for the other shoe to drop, further damaging their relationship with employers. It’s impossible to tell whether this is an intentional strategy designed to push employees to outperform colleagues, but their trust in their employer is ultimately damaged.
Continuous small layoffs have employees questioning the legitimacy of the reasons provided for the cuts, and many have also begun to accuse employers of moving jobs offshore. Frequent job cuts also push employees to leave negative reviews of the business on platforms like Glassdoor, however, these tend to be the only outward sign of distress.
The Connection Between Employers and Employees Continues to Fray
The arrival of AI has caused considerable disruption across workplaces, and the slow-motion layoffs add to workplace concerns. Growing suspicions of employers using hybrid work policies as a way to stealthily move towards enforcing a full-time return have also made their way across office rooms, leaving workers increasingly suspicious of their leaders.
Glassdoor reviews of organizations suggest that there is a disconnect between employers and their employees, with a rise in terms like miscommunication, distrust, and misalignment increasingly used against them. The Antiwork page on Reddit similarly has workers expressing their dislike for the state of employment today, doing what they can to limit their involvement with their workplace.
In 2025, employers hold all the power, and the continuous layoffs are only one of the many ways in which they have been found to exercise their authority. The declining trust in leadership is most apparent in industries like marketing and consulting, media and communication, and technology; however, other industries aren’t entirely immune.
Employee Dissatisfaction is On the Rise, and the Workplace Atmosphere Is Suffering
There is little that employees can do to rebel against these layoff trends other than engage in passive acts like quiet-quitting, but strained relationships within the workplace can be damaging over time. Low morale, over-competitiveness, high tensions, rising conflicts, careless work, high absenteeism, quiet vacations, ghost working—the list of the consequences of such an atmosphere in the workplace is a long one.
The constant state of anxiety over layoffs is unsustainable and is expected to be damaging to employee well-being in the months to come. As much as these small firings may be seen as a smart strategy by some, it is a system limited by its own execution. Employees are willing to turn to side gigs, entrepreneurship, and blue-collar work if their career paths don’t pan out. Only a limited number will commit to these career changes, however, a small number making the shift may be enough to destabilize a business.
A lack of faith in the leadership suggests a lack of faith in the business as a whole, leaving an entire workforce unmotivated to champion organizational goals. It is up to employers to re-evaluate their leadership style and the message it is conveying to employees.
Do you agree that businesses are resorting to forever layoffs, or is there another strategy at play? Share your thoughts and experiences with us. Subscribe to The HR Digest for more insights on workplace trends, layoffs, and what to expect with the advent of AI.