Bay Area tech workers feeling the strain amid mounting layoffs across the industry
Mounting layoffs across the tech industry are leaving tens of thousands of workers searching for limited opportunities, as companies continue to scale back hiring after years of rapid growth.
Just this week, Meta announced plans to cut 8,000 jobs, about 10% of its workforce. It's the latest in a string of layoffs that have swept through the sector.
So far this year, tech companies have issued more than 92,000 layoffs, according to Layoffs.fyi, a website that has tracked industry job cuts since the pandemic. In total, roughly 900,000 tech positions have been eliminated since 2020.
Employment experts said the result is an intensely competitive job market, even as broader unemployment rates remain relatively low, at 5.4% in California.
For workers like Alejandra Hernandez, the impact has been deeply personal. Hernandez was among the thousands laid off by Meta in November 2022. She said the experience was jarring.
"We were the first round of layoffs," she said.
In a TikTok video posted shortly after losing her job, she described the emotional toll.
"I was part of the Meta layoffs this morning. And I am still processing what that means," said Hernandez in the video. "I feel like this is just so surreal and I don't even know what to do with myself."
She said she believed her position was secure at the time.
"You have a high-paying salary. You have phenomenal benefits. I thought I was going to be at Meta forever. I was a lifer. I was never going to leave Meta," said Hernandez.
The Bay Area native later found another job with a tech company in Utah, only to be laid off again last August. After six months of searching for another role in tech without success, she shifted her focus to running her wedding planning business full-time.
"The job market is so unstable right now. And the long-term unemployment is so high that you could be looking at six to 12 months of unemployment," Hernandez said.
Experts said her experience is increasingly common, as waves of laid-off workers compete for a limited number of openings.
"I haven't seen anything like this in, as I say, more than 45 years in the field," said Michael Bernick, a labor and employment expert and former head of California's Employment Development Department. "Even though our unemployment rate is not that high. It's just so competitive to get any job these days."
Bernick is now a legal counsel with the Duane Morris law firm. He said several factors are driving the trend, including over-hiring during the pandemic and companies shifting investments toward artificial intelligence.
"Part of it is still the residual over-hiring that was done during the pandemic. And part of it is AI taking some of the tasks over, and part of that is companies investing in AI, and thus pulling back on other investments, including in personnel."
Recruiters said job seekers need to be strategic and proactive.
Jeanette Larkin of Santa Cruz Staffing, who has more than 20 years of experience in recruiting and talent acquisition, emphasized the importance of networking in a crowded field.
"Volunteer with something that you're passionate about, whether it's a food bank, a soup kitchen, animals, tutoring, you are not only going to keep your communication skills going and fresh. It's going to feed your soul. You are going to just help so much where it's needed. And you're going to meet other people. And you know what? Finding a job is all about connecting, right?" said Larkin.
She also recommends attending or volunteering at local chamber of commerce events to build connections with potential employers.
For Hernandez, she's open to eventually returning to tech, even as she builds her own business.
"I do keep a pulse on the job market because I don't want to be self-employed forever. I don't think this is my end game, my long-term goal."