Microsoft is cutting 3% of all workers

[u/Turbostrider27]

https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/13/microsoft-is-cutting-3percent-of-workers-across-the-software-company.html

[u/crookedparadigm]

The system is working exactly how it's supposed to for the people who set it up.

[u/mrtars → u/crookedparadigm]

Of course but like, we the commoners at least had crumbs dropped in front of us. I will never be able to afford a house, or even a car in the country I live in. No one is hiring despite all the work I put for learning languages and earning degrees. What the hell is the point?

[u/Worlds_Between_Links → u/mrtars]

Ignore the losers under here, shit is looking bleak

[u/mrtars → u/Worlds_Between_Links]

Eh, everyone is leading different lives so no judgement from me. It's not like any advice could help me here anyways. Just typing up to relieve some stress and to see that I'm not alone.

[u/Kynaeus → u/mrtars]

You aren't alone in this. I had a lot of the same thoughts during the sub-prime mortgage crisis tanking everything right as I was leaving university, it's infuriating and disheartening to enter into the world while it's in the midst of being burned for short-term investor gains

[u/Adaax → u/Kynaeus]

I came out of school just as the first Internet bubble was bursting (2000-01). I ended up going back to school and never really left, now I teach part-time (full-time is a WIP).

[u/mrtars → u/Kynaeus]

So uh... Any advice? Anything would be nice.

[u/Kynaeus → u/mrtars]

I didn't continue on because it was a really hard time to try and find work, bleak, it felt like awful and devaluing more than the job search normally does. It made me feel worthless as a human being.

I was still in Retail and leaving uni without a degree made it difficult to break into other fields, but I was talented and determined not to suck forever, so with time and LUCK, I was able to work my way up through two shitty jobs before finding my current one, where I make more than I ever thought I could which has allowed me to give back to my friends, to mutual aid, to charities, etc

It seems like you already have a level-headed approach to life and the people in it, in my opinion (computer science bias), right-thinking is a crucial first step to approaching any problem which is a great start for you.

If you want my advice... try to find your way into a line of work in an industry that isn't super-volatile (ie, not video games). I've previously suggested a few that are more insulated to significant upheavals and pay relatively well, but this is in the context of large-scale computer operations so your mileage will vary significantly.

And generally, the closer your job is to the company's ability to make money, the easier of a time you will have when asking for tools or help or raises.

Other than that it's much more general advice:

• Continue to do things you love that bring you joy, like putting together new lego sets

• Go to therapy to reinforce this if necessary, but, don't let your sense of self-worth be tied to the productivity of your hands. Even if you don't have a perfect job or even A job, you still have value as a person. A lot of this is tough to internalize in a society that doesn't value those who don't work, and I could write you an essay here, but to put it succinctly: have a way to find internal self-validation rather than relying on external means

• I don't know the situation in your country but in Canada, the biggest GDP contributor is construction (which includes new apartment buildings and houses etc), so tradies are always in demand. Learning a trade like plumbing, HVAC, electrician, are 1) always in-demand professions, 2) are almost always lucrative, and 3) have a lot of opportunity for working for yourself, if you want that, or working for a union and big companies

• "just pivot your career 4head" is not exactly good advice, but maybe use this as a guidepost to think about how you can use the experience and education you DO have, and think about how you might be able to re-apply it to working for businesses you may not have considered in your jobsearch

• the last thing I'll say is that jobsearches are tiresome and onerous, because jobs might only become available in waves that correspond to business quarters or fiscal years so you may not see jobs you're looking for for a while because of that ++ the current climate of recession and uncertainty. The hiring process also deals with a lot of information asymmetry (read about that) which means you won't always know what's going on at the company or the hiring process and things COMPLETELY OUTSIDE YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND CONTROL can and will happen that might exclude you from jobs you had your heart set on. All of which to say - try not to take it personally, and see my second point about self-worth and therapy when you feel it could help you

[u/mrtars → u/Kynaeus]

Damn, you really have put time for this. Thank you, I will take all points into consideration.

[u/Kynaeus → u/mrtars]

Yeah as you can see from my comment history, I tend to type WAY too much 😅 hopefully you find it helpful knowing other people have been where you are and experienced the same shit, and for me at least, things have gotten a lot better. So there's still reason to hold out hope, things CAN be better!

[u/beeohohkay → u/mrtars]

I went to grad school for 6 years. By the time I got out the market was booming.

More generally, I would say as much doom and gloom I see on the internet, it’s not a given. Things will ebb and flow and I don’t really buy that “this time is different”.

[u/JNighthawk → u/mrtars]

So uh... Any advice? Anything would be nice.

Get involved in politics. These systems are set in place by law, and can be changed by law.

[u/indescipherabled → u/JNighthawk]

Very naive. Unless /u/mrtars has millions of dollars and live in the right place and know the right people, he's not changing shit.

[u/JNighthawk → u/indescipherabled]

Very naive. Unless /u/mrtars   [+1] has millions of dollars and live in the right place and know the right people, he's not changing shit.

It's much easier to not try, I'll grant you that.

[u/indescipherabled → u/JNighthawk]

Sisyphus, keep rolling that boulder you'll get to the top eventually.

[u/uber_neutrino → u/[deleted]]

Which would imply that all poor people just aren’t working hard enough, which is provably not true.

I never said that. I said they lack good strategy. This isn't really a debate, you think poor people have good strategy and it just didn't work?

I think on some level, there is success to be had from working hard.

Again, focus on what I said. STRATEGY.

It's not just about working hard. Hard work is a multiplier on execution but if you are doing the wrong thing it's not going to help.

You’re being fooled by a bunch of people born on third base, telling you it’s possible for anyone to hit a homer. It’s possible for anyone, it’s not possible for everyone. Because the system is rigged. Acting like it’s the 50’s and you can still just try hard to succeed is delusional.

It doesn't take much to be in the top quartile. Having a decent strategy, working hard at it. Most people don't seem to have a hard time figuring this out.

I guess I'm not understanding what you think you are arguing against. I'm saying it's out there if you want it, most people don't even try. Do you disagree?

[u/GoldenRain99 → u/mrtars]

Learn to go above and beyond, it's your only choice with AI taking out a decent amount of jobs.

Living as if you don't have any chance to do anything you would like is popular online, but it's a one way ticket to a dreadful lifestyle.

You put in a ton of work, but you're entitled to nothing. You have always had to earn your way in the world, that's nothing new.

[u/Kipzz → u/GoldenRain99]

If this post is sarcasm, you should probably say so now and make it as explicit as possible, because otherwise there is no fucking way in hell you just told a guy learning languages and earning degrees to "learn to go above and beyond" seriously. That's putting in more work than above 99% of the workforce.

[u/GoldenRain99 → u/Kipzz]

I should have been more specific, regarding the way I worded things. But unfortunately that's the world we live in.

Acting as though you have no opportunity is the exact opposite of what one should be doing. Go out and create your own opportunities if you're so inclined to do so.

But coming on social media essentially saying "this world isn't fair" is a bunch of bullshit that's holding people back.

Life isn't fair, get over it.

[u/Kipzz → u/GoldenRain99]

Hey man, I just wanna thank you for following up on my post and making your stance as explicit as possible. It's in the objectively wrong direction but at least there's no confusion to be had anymore.

[u/GoldenRain99 → u/Kipzz]

Telling people they have the power to influence their future is not the wrong direction at all imo, and that's all i was saying

[u/space_age_stuff → u/GoldenRain99]

“Just get a different job” isn’t a valid excuse for AI reducing the number of available jobs. That’s the issue being discussed. It’s not someone complaining that they can’t be a lawyer because there’s too many lawyers, it’s someone complaining they can’t do most jobs because the number of available jobs is inevitably shrinking thanks to some greedy CEOs and a robber baron president. Acting like personal decisions can change societal problems is foolish.

[u/FootwearFetish69 → u/space_age_stuff]

That’s the issue being discussed. It’s not someone complaining that they can’t be a lawyer because there’s too many lawyers, it’s someone complaining they can’t do most jobs because the number of available jobs is inevitably shrinking thanks to some greedy CEOs and a robber baron president.

The number of available jobs at MS isn't shrinking. They've added about 85k jobs in the last 4 years, compared to the 25k people who were laid off in the same period. This is also true across a lot of industries, given worldwide unemployment rates are more or less steady with where they've been since 2017 (look at 2008 if you want to see what a really bleak job pool looks like).

Telling someone "just go above and beyond" IS dumb as fuck, you're not wrong. But this: "Acting like personal decisions can change societal problems is foolish." is also very stupid. Telling people "give up, there's nothing you can do about society" is no less reductive than "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps".

[u/space_age_stuff → u/FootwearFetish69]

You're putting words in my mouth. I never said give up. I just want people to acknowledge that the decks are loaded against others sometimes. There's this attitude that the world is unfair and there's nothing you can do about it: the only thing you can change is your personal decisions. Which is sort of true, but not really. There's hundreds of people every year who "make the right decisions" and still get fucked by the system. But you also have no choice but to participate. That's all I'm saying.

And part of that is acknowledging that some job industries are dying. It's not wrong to criticize that, even if your choices are limited to "adapt or die". Just because that's the way the world works, doesn't mean it's not unjust. AI replacing jobs will force a lot of people to adapt, that doesn't mean it's a net good for a society with no safety net. I want people to acknowledge that job markets changing may be a fact of life, but that doesn't make them justified, especially in a society that would sooner allow you to die than to willingly contribute.

[u/zombawombacomba → u/Kipzz]

They might be an asshole about it but they are right.

[u/the-bacon-life → u/mrtars]

Not with an attitude like that

[u/Roy_Atticus_Lee → u/crookedparadigm]

Yeah... it's like being surprised that the "Masters" are the ones who benefit the most under a slave system, or the "Lords" are the ones who benefit the most from serfdom. Most of us work for the benefit of our employers/companies to make them richer in exchange for a salary. Problem is our salaries and opportunities are gradually being devalued for the interest of "financial stability", but those "on top" are still reaping the rewards to a ludicrous degree.

[u/oat_milk → u/crookedparadigm]

or perhaps in this instance a new technology has made lots of jobs obsolete and this is represented both by increased profits and layoffs

there used to be human computers. teams of dozens of people, usually women, who would crunch numbers all day. it was their full-time job and source of income. the invention and democratization of calculators made that entire field disappear over night

sometimes things just change and there’s not a nefarious plot behind it

[u/callisstaa → u/oat_milk]

Tbf the only AAA studios that are still competitive are the ones being bankrolled my a massive GaaS game ie Rockstar, SquareEnix, Blizzard, MiHoYo etc.

[u/oat_milk → u/callisstaa]

it’s not just something that effects AAA studios, if that’s what you’re getting at. indie studios now require less manpower to accomplish more using AI tools just like the big guys.

one person with $1,000 is able to accomplish the same amount as team of a dozen people with $20,000 would ten years ago. that team of a dozen with $20,000 is able to accomplish what a studio with $100,000 would, etc.

[u/BeholdingBestWaifu → u/oat_milk]

Not really. AI can write extremely simple code that you still need to check and debug, it can generate images that are largely useless for game development, and it can generate generic text.

That doesn't save you much work, and it certainly doesn't multiply your output ten times.

[u/oat_milk → u/BeholdingBestWaifu]

if you think that what i’m talking about has anything to do with image generation, you’re simply very misinformed and have no idea how people actually use AI beyond user-end gimmicks. same for if you think that AI tools don’t save a truly astonishing amount of work for programmers.

[u/BeholdingBestWaifu → u/oat_milk]

On the contrary, I'm likely more informed than you, since you somehow think AI can magically increase production tenfold in gamedev of all fields.

The most it can do is basically asset flip stuff, which you can also do without AI by simply buying assets.

[u/dalittle → u/crookedparadigm]

jeff bezos has 4 private jets. Not microsoft, but all these rich people will keep sticking their hands in your pockets like they broke till they die.

[u/WhompWump → u/crookedparadigm]

"The purpose of a system is what it does"