During the Covid pandemic, U.S. unemployment rose to 13% in the second quarter of 2020 but dropped to 6.7% by the fourth quarter due to work-from-home solutions. Most companies now require some in-office time, with 93% of leaders believing it is necessary. Only 7% permit fully remote work in 2025.

By spring 2021, there were more job openings than workers, giving employees leverage. Tech salaries rose by nearly 7% to over $104,000 annually. The tech industry saw significant productivity growth due to remote work. Despite this, the industry is pushing for employees to return to the office post-pandemic.

Instagram announced a return-to-office policy, requiring most U.S. employees to be in the office five days a week starting in February 2026. Employees will still have flexibility to work from home when necessary. Layoffs in 2025 reached the highest level since 2020, affecting over 206,000 tech workers.

Employers cut nearly 950,000 jobs in 2025, making it the worst year for layoffs since 2020. On average, 1.6 million workers are laid off each month, and this trend is expected to continue. Factors like a stagnant labor market and new technology are contributing to the job market instability.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: Leaked memo reveals Meta’s harsh work policy change