Tech Workers Talk About Getting Laid Off

Job cuts have upended the lives of many people who thought they were headed in the right direction

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Anushri Jhunjhunwala, 22 Data scientist in San Francisco

Laid off from Meta Platforms Inc. in November

I was on the trust and safety team for Messenger and Instagram at Meta. It was my dream company. Our managers and people we worked with told us not to worry about layoffs, because we're an important team. And because I was a new grad, I was one of the lowest-paid employees at the company. I thought that if they had to let people go, it wouldn't be me.

That is a really big life change-when you go to a big tech company that is supposed to be nice, cushy and comfortable. I never considered getting laid off. It was overwhelming. My first thought was, "I'm an international student and I'm here on a visa that depends on me being employed."

Given I had friends who got the same Meta job and started working in the summer or even later, I'm thankful I started in February. At least that gave me more time there.

The tech industry has for years looked like an ideal place to land a job, given its reputation for offering generous compensation, flexible working arrangements and the chance to hit it big with stock options. Broad layoffs in the industry have complicated that story. Workers in many parts of the world and different stages in their careers have found themselves grappling with joblessness. Several talked to Bloomberg Businessweek about their experiences. Their comments have been edited for length and clarity. -Michael Tobin and Jo Constantz