Does anyone here understand the "The consistency of layoffs" graphic? The best guess I have is that the number of layoffs in each year is indicated by some sor

Does anyone here understand the "The consistency of layoffs" graphic? The best guess I have is that the number of layoffs in each year is indicated by some sort of measure of the "overall height" of that slice of the image, so e.g. somewhere around 2020 the number is very large. But it's not at all clear, and it's especially not clear which if any of the various small-scale ups and downs we are supposed to take seriously if this is how it works. It's a good candidate for the worst statistical graphic I've seen this year. (The opening-door one earlier in the article is another.)