IME it's arbitrary criteria - either last hired, first fired, or most expensive people, or older people (illegal, but they use other proxies for age to hide it)

IME it's arbitrary criteria - either last hired, first fired, or most expensive people, or older people (illegal, but they use other proxies for age to hide it), or most of a division because they're pivoting/no profitable, or you don't want to work 100 hour weeks sitting on the floor near your new CEOs office, or... Getting laid off from some places is a badge of honor, IMO.