Over the last few years, the job security crisis has emerged as a worrying situation in the corporate sector. Many people have lost jobs for varied reasons. Randstad, a leading talent company, presented its annual survey 2025, which highlighted a significant shift in employees’ priorities, especially for Indian employees. The insights of this report indicated that 52% of the Indian workforce are constantly worried about losing their jobs due to a lack of flexibility and job security. The situation also holds for other domains, making it far more concerning.
The technology sector is one of the most impacted. Once considered a robust market, with umpteen career opportunities, strong benefits, and high pay. But by 2024, things changed significantly as almost all major IT companies laid off many employees.
An analyst at Microsoft, Sarthak Negi, told The Voices, “I was very secure in my job, but it does feel like I can be let go anytime in the name of cost-cutting.” The extensive hiring that took place during the pandemic led to massive layoffs in 2024, especially in the tech sector.
“During the pandemic, most companies benefitted a lot due to the economic situation then, but once the in-person working environment set in again, the demand was far less than the supply. Companies focused on profits rather than growth, which means cutting costs is sometimes their only option,” said Ashmit Mittal, a software engineer at an Ed-tech company, Leverage Edu.
Another ed-tech firm employee, Pulkit, said, “US companies tend to replace Indian talent to generate employment in their native country. This makes these companies more susceptible to job security problems.” The uncertainty has directly affected people’s future plans. Employers also place unrealistic expectations on workers, expecting more than what is possible.
A software engineer from a medium-sized IT firm shared, “The modern corporate culture that propagates the fear of losing one’s job has created an atmosphere where people lack initiative. Its impact is both financial and psychological and endures on a day-to-day basis.”
Amidst these challenges, people seek new opportunities in different sectors. Many are looking to learn new skills and enhance their capabilities. During these periods, the number of people switching to freelance or accepting contractual roles increases.
“My focus has been my higher studies and skill development to score better employment,” said Pragati Arora, a process associate in a third-party company that provides services to HCL. She was affected by the mass layoff in her company. Employers are responsible for providing job security to their employees, while employees are responsible for keeping up with the changes in their respective industries. In the current times, everything seems uncertain, but one needs to implement the right strategies to seek a positive change.
Copy Editor: Arunima Maharshi