“No One is Safe”-Veteran Laid-Off WA Tech Workers Struggle to Find Jobs

Over the last year and a half, tech giants have been shedding jobs at a rapid rate, and now veteran workers are finding it very tough to field jobs in the tech sector.

  "No One is Safe" says one job expert

  Geekwire is reporting  that after a large number of layoffs in the industry (US and abroad) in 2023, a slight slowing  in 2024, the pace is picking up this year.

265,000 were let go in 2023, 153K last year, and so far another 114K in 2025, but the pace shows no signs of slowing. Geekwire focused on the struggles of a 21-year  Microsoft vet, who like many just  a few years ago, were told were relatively safe because of a shortage of workers.

Now, the worker, Jonathan Duncan, who was laid off in May of this year, says he's been to over 200 interviews, and "not a squeak" when it comes to a perspective job.

Geekwire says:

"For years, tech workers were told there was a talent shortage. Recruiters chased them. But in 2025, leaders who built their whole careers on growing headcount and mastering organizational processes are getting “mowed down right now in stunning numbers,” said Laura Close, CEO of Close Cohen, a job search and executive coaching firm."

Microsoft and Amazon are among  the leaders in layoffs,  saying much of the cutting is returning to pre-pandemic levels, that overhiring was common.  However, they and others are investing hundreds of millions, if not billions, in A.I research and tech. They're planning to greatly expand its use.

In fact, Amazon hopes within a decade to have 75 percent of their warehouse functions automated and run by AI programmed robots.

Business and job hunting experts also say these vets are now having to cope with life without the identity of being high-level tech worker, such as those at Amazon and Microsoft.

According to Geekwire:

"Angus Norton, a former Microsoft and Amazon exec, recently wrote about the toll of perpetual layoffs on those who remain.

“It creates a hierarchy of fear. Everyone becomes a potential target. Everyone knows someone who was let go despite stellar performance,” he wrote. “The message is clear: no one is safe.”