You're saying this as if there aren't any costs involved in taking a job and being laid off is free from any kind of negative effect. People aren't upset out of

You're saying this as if there aren't any costs involved in taking a job and being laid off is free from any kind of negative effect. People aren't upset out of loyalty the company, they're upset because they have rent to pay. Some fairly straightforward examples of why dumping tens of thousands of people into financial precarity isn't a positive or neutral action: * Rent is still due at the end of the month. Hopefully you don't have too long left on your lease if you find a job in another city. * Many companies seem to be doing it simply because they can, rather than out of any kind of financial necessity. * Recent hires likely haven't recouped their relocation costs. * Finding a new job is more complicated when the market has been flooded with literally hundreds of thousands of people in the same situation. * People lose part of their social circle, especially bad for people who gave up their existing one when relocating. * Many applicants, especially graduates, have had accepted job offers withdrawn, putting them in a financially precarious position where they've turned down other offers and now need to scramble to find a way to pay their rent. The fact is that most people only ever have a few months at most to find a new source of income. Losing your job in an environment where finding a new one is more challenging than normal is going to be hugely stressful for most. To be honest, I find it really odd that you're totally unaware why someone losing their job might affect them negatively.