I asked ChatGPT to review this thread and other public info:
ChatGPT predicts 60-70% change of Layoffs in the next 6 months
When
September–October - High - Repeated late-Q3/early-Q4 activity, especially 2024
January–March - Very high- Strongest recurring pattern; year-end financial/budget decisions appear to feed into RIFs
The biggest thing I'd emphasize is January through March. That's not just a general corporate-layoff pattern — Highmark's own layoff history shows a particularly strong concentration there.