[skywhopper]

I hate this so much. I once worked at a place that did a layoff and caught a person who’d been a two-time intern and had just been hired out of college that same week. There’s no reason the company couldn’t have re-assigned her elsewhere. She’d already proven her value! What a waste to throw away the opportunity for a known-good new hire who could ramp up quickly, and what a horrible thing to inflict on someone just out of school. I know the execs deciding to do the layoffs don’t care about those details but at some level someone made the decision to pick this person over someone else. What monsters these corporations force us to become to each other.

[paulryanrogers]

Why didn't they freeze hiring long before reaching the point of needing layoffs?!

[fsckboy]

information about the economy and the finances comes in, heads of departments or companies evaluate it, they announce layoffs or hiring if necessary. You don't know before that. There's no point in waiting after that. Every person is a little tiny cog in a big concerted effort. the machine is acquiring resources and taking care of customers. every little cog is not the main focus, nor should it be.

[the_optimist]

Not the corporations, the Fed. The Fed introduces high correlation, compels outsized urgency and economic volatility, and directly sets unemployment targets.

[asadotzler]

The Fed doesn't compel, greed compels and the Fed just gives the greedy the signposts they want.

[the_optimist]

To the contrary, setting an employment target and maintaining high interest rates if that target is exceeded is prima facie evidence of coercion.

[asadotzler]

That's just silly.

[the_optimist]

Explain why you think this. How did you think the world worked before central banking? Do you think a pack of business people grouped around a table and agreed to fire people until inflation declined?

[mp05]

Surely, the Federal Reserve has a good reason for everything they do. Surely.