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Comment by drstewart | Hacker News Reader

>the same thing is happening all over tech - go down to a reduced staff of essential contributors and re-hire later for much lower comp

If supply and demand stay the same, then why do you think the price will change?

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>If supply and demand stay the same, then why do you think the price will change?

Fear. Much of this layoff activity is intended to induce fear. Employees were getting too uppity. Talking back to management. Doing side projects. Talking with each other about wages and working conditions. Even forming unions. That had to be stopped.

"A touch of the lash will keep them in line."

I suspect this was not the main reason for the layoffs. But whether it was the intention or not, it definitely is a powerful psychological tool in negotiations during a time when many employees were demanding more and more.

Isn’t >100K cumulative layoffs in the industry and widespread hiring freezes exactly a reduction in demand?

Do you think the demand for SWEs will be the same in April of 2023 as it was in April of 2021?

If they're just hiring them back, then yes, demand is the same?

You and I appear to disagree on the April 2023 vs 2021 demand. I think April 2023 will have a lot less demand for SWEs than 2021.

That's great, but has nothing to do with the original comment I was responding to

If there is less demand in the future from the overall industry cutbacks, that is definitely relevant to whether the supply and demand are the same.

That's great, but still has nothing to do with the original comment I was responding to. I suggest reading it first before continuing to argue points that are irrelevant.

This one? https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=35250776

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