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209 points htrp | 1 comments | | HN request time: 0.203s | source
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crmd ◴[] No.44445401[source]
I don’t remember when it became normalized for profitable companies to casually execute major layoffs. It used to be a “shameful” last resort that CEOs turned to as a last ditch effort to save a company facing bankruptcy.

I suspect it’s related to the stock buyback safe harbor rule (Rule 10b-18.) Layoff announcements used to be a sign of a company in crisis, now the stock price often immediately rises, perhaps because shareholders are anticipating a short-term windfall.

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1. heathrow83829 ◴[] No.44445688[source]
well, as productivity per employee increases you need fewer of them. So lay offs can be seen as a sign of a healthy productivity increase.

FAANG total headcounts have been trending down for years now (2-3).