• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says

1

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons

2

MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing

3

Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
SuccessLayoffs

Gen Z and millennials are reframing layoffs, stripping away the shame and pointing the finger of blame at the company that let them go

By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Chloe Taylor
Chloe Taylor
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 17, 2022, 9:30 AM ET
A laid-off employee carrying a box of belongings out of an office
Young workers are taking to TikTok to share details of how they were laid off.Anchalee Phanmaha/Getty Images

With the economy on shaky ground, many companies have announced layoffs this year in a bid to brace for a widely anticipated recession.

The tech sector has been hit particularly hard, with big names including Snap, Meta, and Peloton all cutting their headcount, but companies outside the industry, from Goldman Sachs to Walmart, have also slashed jobs.

What employers may not have counted on is their younger workers taking to TikTok to document the highs and lows of post-layoff life—and exposing their employers’ less-than-compassionate practices when it comes to job cuts.

Rethinking a “toxic mindset”

“It’s been about three weeks since I was laid off, and I’ve had so much time to think about everything,” TikTok user Stephan Brown said in a video posted last week. “In the beginning, I was kind of beating myself up—did I do something wrong? Was it based off my performance? Am I the problem?”

https://www.tiktok.com/@myepiclyfe/video/7153330988104387886?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

However, he said he had come to realize that this was “such a toxic mindset.”

“Now I’m using this time to figure out what do I want to do next? Do I want to make a career pivot? Do I want to stay in the same industry? Do I want to try something new?” he said in a video posted last week.  

Addressing people who have found themselves in the same situation, Brown said being laid off presented an opportunity to “really sit down and figure out our lives.”

“I think it’s important to really figure out what career will make you the most happy, the most fulfilled,” he said. “And it’s okay if you don’t know that right away. Take as much time as you need to figure that out and build the life you want to live within the next year.”

Brooke Humphries used the platform to share how she felt “really scared and really lost” after being laid off from her corporate job—but also said she was trying to put a positive spin on her unexpected change of circumstances.

“I’m hoping this is just going to open the doors for something better and more fulfilling in my life,” she said in a video posted last week. “Now I have two weeks of getting paid to do some soul-searching and figure out what I want to do with my life.”

https://www.tiktok.com/@blhumphries/video/7153698548561808682?is_copy_url=1u0026is_from_webapp=v1

Fortune reached out to a handful of TikTok creators who were posting about their experiences of being laid off, but none were immediately available to comment.

“I don’t know if I want a job again”

TikToker Allison Baird has also shared details with her followers about life after being laid off, with her content opening up about how she has made the most of her newfound free time while also acknowledging how upsetting being laid off was.

“It’s been a few days since my layoff now. I’m trying to take time and just enjoy this for what it is because I know I won’t always have this time with my family, with my friends and my town, and who knows where my next chapter will bring me?” she said in a video posted shortly after she revealed she had lost her job.

@avocado.allison

guess the city in the comments :) #myjourney #laidoff #mylife #bigdecisionstobemade #bigchange #figuringitout #unemployed #jobsearch #lookingforjobs #plshireme #mylifeisaparty #mylifeiskindacrazy #lovelife #livelaughlove #onedayatatime

♬ Storytelling – Adriel

“I think I’m just going to try and make it work,” she said in a separate video on Sunday, in which she revealed she had taken the opportunity to travel.

“I have been laid off for a month now and I haven’t had any luck finding a job, so this has pushed me to do something chaotic and different, and I’m excited.”

Ashleigh Carter, a writer based in New York City who has used TikTok to share stories about how her life has changed since being laid off, joked in a video last week: “I don’t know if I want to get a job again.”

@ashweecarter

make no mistake I cried the next day because I haven’t gotten one single interview yet. #unemployed #fyp

♬ original sound – Ashleigh Carter

“I’m having a lovely day—it’s a random Thursday—I went to the Natural History Museum, I went to a diner, had a great experience, now I’m in Central Park,” she told her 24,500 followers. “I feel great. I mean I have no money but…other than that.”

“Skipped the pleasantries”

As well as trying to see layoffs as an opportunity, TikTok users are also sharing details about how and why they’re being laid off, and the impact losing their jobs will have on their lives.

One woman took to TikTok to post a sound clip from a meeting where multiple employees were let go at once, saying in her video caption that she had $20 left and a 2-year-old to support.

https://www.tiktok.com/@manicpixiegrungebunny/video/7052061662655925550?is_copy_url=1u0026is_from_webapp=v1

In the video, one of her colleagues can be heard criticizing the company for what they insinuate is a lack of professionalism, while another is heard worrying about how being laid off will affect her maternity leave.

“So, you’re saying we’re not going to be given a specific reason—it’s just going to be ‘blanket restructuring’?” the woman who posted the video to TikTok then asks her bosses, before getting visibly upset.

“Yeah,” the employer replies. “Unfortunately, we’ve had to restructure the entire organization. This isn’t just affecting you guys, it’s affecting a lot of different people.”  

Meanwhile, another TikTok user posted a video update in June after being laid off from an unnamed “ride share” company.

“I don’t know the process of being laid off, so I was completely oblivious—100% blindsided by this,” she said. “This [was] a new manager. We don’t have a rapport, we don’t know each other that well, so he skipped the pleasantries. He’s like: ‘We’re eliminating your position.’”

@keyna_beenaa

I got laid off from a tech company! #womenintech #diml #fyp #chicagovlog #blackgirlluxury #blackgirltiktok #chicagotiktok #storytime

♬ Campfire – Charmer & Klay

Sign up for the Fortune Features email list so you don’t miss our biggest features, exclusive interviews, and investigations.

About the Author
By Chloe Taylor
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Success

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Success

Suzy Welch, author and NYU Stern School of Business professor
SuccessCareers
NYU Stern professor Suzy Welch says the career aspiration to follow your passion is ‘dumb advice’
By Emma BurleighJune 5, 2026
16 hours ago
Jane Lynch
SuccessCareers
Former ‘Glee’ star Jane Lynch says the secret to career success isn’t a 10-year plan: ‘Life doesn’t care about your timeline’
By Preston ForeJune 5, 2026
16 hours ago
‘Nobody knows what they’re doing’ says Michelle Obama  
SuccessMichelle Obama
‘Nobody knows what they’re doing’ says Michelle Obama  
By Sam BirchallJune 5, 2026
16 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott’s approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
SuccessMacKenzie Scott
MacKenzie Scott’s approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
By Sydney LakeJune 5, 2026
24 hours ago
John Furner
SuccessCareers
Walmart CEO John Furner worked his way up from the garden center. After 30 years, he’s sharing the one trait that matters most in his job
By Preston ForeJune 4, 2026
2 days ago
Isolated Gen Z worker in office
SuccessGen Z
Gen Zers are more disconnected and distrustful of coworkers than their older colleagues—and they’re so lonely they’re taking days off work
By Emma BurleighJune 4, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
AI
AI CEOs from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Microsoft set aside their rivalry to warn Congress AI is making it too easy to design and create bioweapons
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezJune 5, 2026
23 hours ago
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
Success
MacKenzie Scott's approach to her $26 billion giving spree was inspired by a book she read in college about writing
By Sydney LakeJune 5, 2026
24 hours ago
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
Economy
Social Security faces a 24% cut in 2032—that's a $345 billion hit to retirees nationwide, watchdog says
By Nick LichtenbergJune 5, 2026
24 hours ago
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 5, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 5, 2026
18 hours ago
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
Cybersecurity
Ohio city workers are covering automated license plate readers with trash bags as officials sound the alarm on 'egregious violations' of privacy
By Sasha RogelbergJune 3, 2026
3 days ago
10,000 Boomers a day, $39 trillion in debt, and no benefit cuts: Bessent stakes Social Security on the Trump economy
Economy
10,000 Boomers a day, $39 trillion in debt, and no benefit cuts: Bessent stakes Social Security on the Trump economy
By Nick LichtenbergJune 4, 2026
2 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.