An overwhelming majority of Americans are feeling less secure about their own employment in 2025, Newsweek reported.
As the combination of sweeping tariffs imposed by the Trump administration rattles global trade and the Department of Government Efficiency downsizes the federal workforce, 81% of Americas are fearful of losing their jobs.
The survey in The Great Stay: 2025 State of the Labor Market report by My Perfect Resume also found that 76% assume there will be an increase in layoffs this summer with a near unanimous 92% feeling a recession is imminent.
Since the onset of the government downsizing led by Elon Musk and his DOGE initiative, over 56,000 federal workers have been laid off, around 75,000 have accepted buyouts, and another 146,000 reductions are planned in the weeks ahead, according to the New York Times. These workers will all be flooding an already stressed job market, making the prospect of finding a new job quickly unlikely, the Times reported.
Patrice Williams Lindo, CEO at Career Noma told Newsweek that the combination of elements have eroded workers' confidence.
"Layoffs are still happening — in an unpredictably regular fashion since the start of the year," Lindo told the outlet. "The economy feels unpredictable.
"Tariffs are shifting. The news cycle is nonstop. Workers are tired of being caught off guard, and the anxiety is palpable.
"It's not just fear of job loss. It's fear of being forgotten, left behind, or forced to start over without a safety-net income, financial security, health insurance, just a name a few," she said.
"Even high performers are staying put in jobs they've outgrown, not because they want to, but because it feels safer than stepping into the unknown right now."
Adriana L. Cowdin, entrepreneur and coach at Be Bold Executive Coaching said the DOGE cuts have put an unease into even the most secure jobs. She called this period in time "uniquely destabilizing" as even traditionally "safe" institutions — like the federal government — "are sending signals that nothing is guaranteed."
"I've seen how political and economic shifts shape job security perceptions — whether it was the dot-com crash in 2000, the ripple effects of 9/11, the 2008 financial collapse, or the COVID disruptions," Cowdin told the outlet.
"When that sense of predictability vanishes, people naturally start to wonder: If I can't count on the market, the government or long-tenured companies to stay steady, what can I count on?"
The coming summer may put a pause on the typical vacation for former workers who now find themselves competing with each other for a career with the same pay and title as the one they just left, according to Newsweek.
Amanda Goodall, founder of The Job Chick, told the outlet, “Is the job market going to be tough for federal workers? You bet it is.
"What may be a director in the federal world is a manager in many private sectors. I have spoken to dozens of federal workers that assume because they were manager or director in their federal role, they will be able to land a VP position, no sweat.
"Unfortunately, that is not how it works," she said. "So we have a big disconnect on roles, titles and the salaries that go along with them."
The My Perfect Resume poll of 1,115 U.S. workers was conducted on Dec. 22. No margin of error was provided.
James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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