Is anyone tracking total layoffs per year? I feel like last year was nutty and its only getting worse, but feelings only go so far and id love to see some data
I'd like to see hires as well. I'm guessing they massively ramped up during COVID and now they're returning to pre-COVID levels, but I don't have the data for that.
They're doing what they always do: mass layoffs of senior staff from November till Feb. to increase money for shareholders, then they hire recent grads starting in ~march-may for their next project cycle.
Rinse, repeat. I started in the games industry a little shy of 20 years ago, and I only know two people still in it.
Video game companies are the least loyal to their employees of any industry that I, or family/friends of mine, have ever worked in. In 19 years I was in 8 different layoffs. The longest I ever worked anywhere was four years (at five they have to give you full-time full benefits).
One time I signed up for my EI after a layoff a government employee (I'm Canadian) referred to video game workers as effectively "seasonal". Average is 18 months working, six months unemployed.
@penalty shooters 2 additionally, I'd want to see hiring. Without statistics to support that, I'm assuming they greatly increased during COVID and are currently decreasing to pre-COVID levels.