Cruel Optimism

UW researchers studied 29 laid-off tech workers over five weeks starting Nov 2022.
The paper, titled “The Cruel Optimism of Tech Work,” explores emotional fallout post-layoffs.
Participants included software engineers, product designers, UX researchers, and data scientists.
Microsoft laid off 6,000 employees in one week, part of 500,000 tech layoffs since 2022.
Workers expressed disillusionment with the “cult of technology” and profit-driven tech culture.
Many still planned to stay in tech but called for “human-centered futures” prioritizing people.
Some supported forming unions, though views were mixed due to tech's competitive ethos.
Lead author was UW PhD student Samuel So; co-authors included Vannary Sou, Sucheta Ghoshal, and Sean A. Munson.
Coping strategies included personal mindset shifts, like disengaging from company loyalty.
The study was presented April 30 at ACM CHI 2024 in Yokohama and funded by the NSF.

Source:
https://www.geekwire.com/2025/cruel-optimism-mass-layoffs-take-the-shine-off-careers-in-the-tech-sector-uw-research-finds/

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4 replies (most recent on top)

this is a phase, and it will end

the companies will get to their headcount goals, but in increments

incremental layoffs let the companies re-evaluate the survivors over time and reduces instability

by 2027-28 I expect this phase to end

after that, you will have tech companies will a small cadre of elite, well-compensated folks at the top and a huge pool of acceptable, average-wage folks in the middle...just like you would find at any large corp

older tech workers will be fine, they can just retire

young tech workers can retrain

the mid-career people are in trouble - too old to retrain, too young to retire

Yikes, what a colossal waste of a study.

'profit-driven tech culture'...this is coded marxism for 'capitalism is bad'

Company loyalty is an oxymoron.

Tech is in the middle of an assessment of potential AI takeover. Companies are determining what they can outsource to AI and what they still need humans to do. Thankfully, the unwarranted hype around AI will subside once people are aware of the limitations on its ability to apply logic & reason, which will result in a rehire bo-m, but 'when' is TBD.

Nice to see that not every company has forgotten how to treat employees. Emirates Airlines just announced a 22-week bonus for staff after posting record profits.

It’s a dog eat dog world, and a serious greed mentality.

Thread regarding Cisco Systems Inc. layoffs

Cruel Optimism

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