Earlier quoted context omitted.
Unless a company is shutting down, the first to be laid off are (or are perceived to be by upper management ) "poor performers".
Would love to learn from data if you have any to back that up. From what we've seen, top reasons that determine who gets laid off include those who: 1) get paid well (the layoff is a desperate cost-cutting measure) 2) are randomly selected (the company is acknowledging that layoffs are not performance-related) 3) either got hired most recently or have most tenure (an attempt to reward longtime employees or respect th…
There's also the "entire department" (often post-acquisition) rationale. In any case, your perception is pretty common, and that creates a hiring opportunity for savvy recruiters who know better and don't pre-judge.