Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Ask HN: What is the current driver of tech layoffs?

news.ycombinator.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

91–100 of 315 posts

Re: Ask HN: What is the current driver of tech layoffs?

#91

Post by vrosas »

leetharris wrote: post #19

This is going to be a controversial opinion. The quality of your average tech worker has completely nosedived in the last 10-15 years. All these huge companies wanted more products, more marketshare, more money, etc. They needed more people to pull this off. They started lowering hiring standards across the board because there just weren't enough people in tech. Simultaneously, a huge portion of the world saw tech sa…

I was just today reminiscing about how smart and capable everyone seemed at the startup I interned at in 2013, and comparing them to the quality of engineers I’ve worked with in the startup scene more recently. The difference is stark. I can’t pin down one reason but I agree with you. Too many bootcamps. Too much resume-driven development. Too many engineering managers whose only programming language is JQL.

Re: Ask HN: What is the current driver of tech layoffs?

#92

Post by climatekid »

blurbleblurble wrote: post #82

The US Fed monetary policy has everything to do with it. Money is especially valuable right now. As well as the proliferation of new "AI" tools that increase worker productivity by 10x-1000x. Between the Fed tightening demand and the AI tools simultaneously heating up supply (productive output), it's no surprise these layoffs are happening.

> increase worker productivity by 10x-1000x.

Tell me you're not an engineer without telling me you're not an engineer

Re: Ask HN: What is the current driver of tech layoffs?

#94

Post by mixdup »

I'm convinced that it's because the recession that has been predicted for the past 3 years has not happened, and now we're in the election year and it must happen. The layoffs will continue until we get the macro outcome we're looking for

It's the only explanation for companies that are at all time highs in revenue, profit, and stock value to be laying off double digit percentages of their employees

Re: Ask HN: What is the current driver of tech layoffs?

#95

Post by mikewarot »

The "free money" is going away, now that the Boomers are all retiring and taking their money out of the stock market. Interest rates are about to rise to 8-10% and stay there for a few decades, if all goes well.

This will mark the beginning of an immense era of innovation as all of that talent floods the market and is put to far more productive use.

Re: Ask HN: What is the current driver of tech layoffs?

#97

Post by jmspring »

leetharris wrote: post #19

This is going to be a controversial opinion. The quality of your average tech worker has completely nosedived in the last 10-15 years. All these huge companies wanted more products, more marketshare, more money, etc. They needed more people to pull this off. They started lowering hiring standards across the board because there just weren't enough people in tech. Simultaneously, a huge portion of the world saw tech sa…

I don’t disagree. That said, at large companies there are a lot of people that do the minimum to make themselves look good and pass the buck down.
Post reply on HN